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Will Best Picture go to The King’s Speech or The Social Network? See The Scene’s predictions, B1
Tournament hopes in jeopardy after embarrassing home loss to Miami, A10
The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College
strikes in wisconsin Controversial budget proposal brings state workers to the capital in droves, B10
The Heights Thursday, February 24, 2011
www.bcheights.com
UGBC ELECTION 2011
Joyce-Portes, KitlasLong still in the race By Taylour Kumpf News Editor
The candidate teams of Mike Joyce and Justin Portes, both A&S ’12, and Mike Kitlas and Jill Long, both A&S ’12, will be advancing to the final round of the UGBC presidential and vice presidential election. The Joyce-Portes team came out on top, receiving 48.6 percent of the total vote in Monday and Tuesday’s primary election, while Kitlas and Long received 27.3 percent of the final vote. Nick Domino, A&S ’12, and Katrina Lutfy, CSON ’12, came out with 15.7 percent of the total vote, while David Lalonde, A&S ’12 and Ryan Tierney, CSOM ’12, received 8.4 percent. The Domino-Lutfy and Lalonde-Tierney
teams will not be advancing to the final round. A record-setting 3,284 votes were cast in the primary election – a 70 percent increase from last year’s 1,924 votes. “The elections committee is very excited about the 70 percent increase in primary votes since last year, and we are hopeful that this trend will continue into the final elections,” said Mike O’Hara, co-chair of the elections committee, and A&S ’11, in an e-mail. Voting for the final election will take place next Monday and Tuesday. “This encouraging increase in voter turnout can be attributed to many factors, including the tireless hard work,
See Elections, A4
sang lee / heights staff
Roberson Pierre, A&S ’13, recited a poem, which spoke of the struggle and resilience of African Americans, at the BHM closing ceremony.
Alex Manta / heights editor
The Joyce-Portes and Kitlas-Long UGBC teams will be advancing to the final round of elections.
BCSSH applies for official recognition By Taylour Kumpf News Editor
Last Friday, Boston College Students for Sexual Health (BCSSH) applied for recognition as a student organization with the Student Programs Office (SPO). “After over two years of organizing events and initiatives on campus and working with the administration, student groups, and others in the BC community to improve the sexual health education and resources provided to
students, BC Students for Sexual Health has applied for official recognition,” said Alicia Johnson, chair of BCSSH and A&S ’11, in an e-mail. If the group is recognized by SPO, organizers said they plan to maintain their condom distribution. “We would work more closely with SPO, but we will stand behind our position that condoms and other sexual health resources will be available to students,” Johnson said. “Recognition as an RSO [Registered
See BCSSH, A4
Ceremony ends BHM
Black History Month Committee concludes month-long culture celebration By Rebecca Kailus Heights Staff
Bringing its month-long celebration to a close, the Black History Month Committee presented its closing ceremony Wednesday night in Robsham Theater. The celebration of Black History Month kicked off with an opening ceremony dinner in the Yawkey Center on Jan. 31. Over the past month, the Committee put on various programs to celebrate the culture and history of black members of the Boston College community. These events showcased the culture, history, and pride of the black community at BC. Events included a Black History Month Panel Series featuring discussions titled “Get Ur Freak On” and “Every Trif lin’ Black Man and Bitter Black Woman for Themselves,” along with the Multicultural Christian Fellowship (MCF) Gospel Showcase of “Not Forgotten,” and a Career Center Panel titled “I am History: I am TODAY!”
Week’s focus is on unity
Harvard University, Lee has helped guide BET’s reinvigorated approach, which is to build on supporting families, embracing and encouraging their dreams, focusing on the issues that are important to them, and presenting the freshest talent and entertainment. Lee began her speech by praising BC and its diversity. “I have a special place in my heart for BC,” Lee said. “My son Quinn is a senior here. I remember when we dropped Quinn off, I was so impressed by everyone. I was impressed and felt comfortable leaving Quinn in your hands.” Growing up in segregated Greensborough, Lee’s father sued the school system for integration. Lee said that she and her fellow students used to protest this, naively believing that, with the right resources, they would be able to grow despite segregation. “We used to have ‘Save the Black
See Ceremony, A4
Frustrated seniors form ‘revolution’ By Daniel Tonkovich Heights Editor
And Joseph Pasquinelli
UGBC’s Student Formation Week seeks to build community
Heights Staff
By Ji Hae Lee For The Heights
On Tuesday, Kerry Cronin, a professor in the philosophy department, gave a talk titled “10 Reasons Why You’re Not Dating and What to Do About It,” one of a series of events that comprise Student Formation Week. The week, a spin-off of last year’s Jesuit Heritage Week, was hosted by the UGBC. Other events included BC Date Night and 10:02, which were designed to foster familiarity with the campus community and foster connections between students, and Dine and Discover, which allowed a small group of students to tour St. Mary’s Hall and talk with a Jesuit. According to the Student Formation Week
This year’s closing ceremony featured song, dance, and poetic interpretation that centered on this year’s theme of “I am History.” The event began with a dance by Presenting Africa To ‘U’ (PATU) that combined elements of traditional African and modern dance. An interpretative poem, “Ten Things I Want to Say to a Black Woman,” was performed by Shari Campbell, LSOE ’13. In addition, Voices of Imani performed two songs, followed by a poem by Robertson Pierre, A&S ’13. Pierre’s speech, “I am History,” spoke of the struggle and resilience of the African American people. “I, us, we are history. And yes we can! We are such a beautiful people. We are history,” Pierre said. The keynote speaker for the evening was Debra Lee, chairman and chief executive officer of Black Entertainment Television (BET) Networks. A political science major from with a jurist doctorate and master’s degree in public policy from
sara davey / heights staff
Students take part in BC Date Night, part of the community building Student Formation Week. website, the week is designed to allow students to focus on aspects of student life other than academics. “We are encouraged to use our education in combination with the rest of our experiences to enrich our personal development,” the website reads. “We graduate as people, not as students.” “Student formation has always been an integral aspect of BC because it is taken from the Jesuit value of education for a person, not simply for a student,” said Joana Bueno, A&S ’13. “We don’t go
through our four years at BC with only an academic mindset.” Cronin said that student formation is divided into social, intellectual, and spiritual dimensions. Her talk focused on the social aspect of campus life and encouraged students to think about their situations and be courageous. “We asked Professor Cronin to give a talk about dating because she seems to combine the different dimensions in a college-friendly
See Formation, A4
For three seniors embittered with the status quo at Boston College, their frustration has evolved into a grassroots movement: the Revolutionary Government of Boston College (RGBC). Eric Neumann, John Pizutti, and Andrew Bartholomew, all A&S ’11, described RGBC as being founded on the dissatisfaction they and others had been feeling regarding several campus issues. They intend for it to turn into a student movement of taking initative to resolve university issues. “I’m one of the biggest complainers around,” Nuemann said. “My roommates said [to] do something about it, so I wrote up a rant and passed it out.” Neumann’s rant turned into a manifesto, which was circulated via a Facebook group of over 200 students who support the movement. Pizzuti said the goal of the movement is to start a dialogue among the student
body and empower student to change the University. “This is a forum to get people involved,” Pizzuti said. “We’re not trying to stick it to the administration.” RGBC is not a registered student program with the Student Program’s Office. Members, however, do not take issue with the lack of formal University recognition. “It’s easier to get a conversation started from the outside, but it’s easier to make change once inside the system,” Pizutti said. The conversation that the members are attempting to ignite would cover a variety topics ranging from dining services to the UGBC. According to the RGBC’s manifesto, the practices of dining services incite frustration in students who take issue with prices and policies. “We understand they have to pay people who serve and prepare the food,” Pizzuti said. “We’re worried about the cost of the prepackaged food. It’s twice
See RGBC, A4
TopFive
The Heights
Thursday, February 24, 2011
things to do on campus this week
Black History Month
1
Googlization of Everything
Today Time: 4:30 p.m. Location: McElroy
Bring your friends and celebrate Black History Month as Carney Dining Hall serves cuisine in honor of Black history. Dinner is served from 4:30 p.m. until 8 p.m.
2
Today Time: 4:30 p.m. Location: Cushing 001
Listen to a lecture by Siva Vaidhyanathan, a historian and media scholar at UVA, and author of the book, The Googlization of Everything (And Why We Should Worry).
‘New Voices 2011’
3
Voices of Imani Winter Jam
Annual Winter Concert
Today Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Robsham
Enjoy two original oneact plays by Boston College student playwrights titled The Missing Piece and Chase 304, both directed by Scott T. Cummings. Tickets are $10.
featured on campus
EcoPledge sells oneSHIRTs
4
Saturday Time: 2 p.m. Location: St. Ignatius
Stop by St. Ignatius Church and enjoy the sounds of the University Chorale of Boston College in their annual Winter Concert. The choir will be under the direction of conductor John Finney.
5
Sunday Time: 6 p.m. Location: Cabaret Room
Stop by the Voices of Imani Winter Jam as they celebrate with a night of praise and worship along with Boston College’s Gospel Choir and special guest groups.
IntheNews
Four Day Weather Forecast Today
40° Mostly Sunny 34°
Friday
41° Rain 21°
Saturday
35° Partly Cloudy
University Suspension of faculty senate at Idaho State gains AAUP attention The Idaho Board of Education, per the recommendation of Arthur C. Vailas, president of Idaho State University, suspended the university’s faculty senate after it voiced its lack of confidence in the president, according to a report by The Chronicle of Higher Education. The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) threatened to begin a formal investigation of the action. Gregory F. Scholtz, associate secretary of the AAUP, said the state board’s action will be formally investigated unless administrators can justify the suspension.
25°
Sunday
37° Mostly Cloudy 29°
Source: National Weather Service
A Guide to Your Newspaper The Heights Boston College – McElroy 113 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467 Editor-in-Chief (617) 552-2223
Local News MBTA outlines plan to balance budget in face of projected deficit The MBTA outlined a plan yesterday to balance its budget without raising fares or cutting service in light of a projected $130 million deficit, according to a report by The Boston Globe. They have proposed selling parking revenue at MBTA lots to investors in exchange for up-front cash to pay off debt and lease the 1,275 parking spaces below North Station and TD Garden, which will generate about $80 million a year. It also hopes to keep the staff below 6,000 employees and boost ridership by 3 percent through more billboards and advertising on their website.
On Campus Photo courtesy of sustainu.com
EcoPledge collaborated with SustainU and their oneSHIRT Collegiate National Clothing Drive to raise money for poverty By Tanner Edwards
company that utilizes recycled fibers to manufacture clothing, Heights Staff and its oneSHIRT Collegiate National Clothing Drive. The EcoPledge continued efcompany’s “oneSHIRT” was sold forts to promote sustainable at the clothing environmental drive All Tp ra c t i c e s a t proceeds Boston College The student-led Eco- shirt went to Nuru by holding a clothing drive Pledge organization International, an organizain McElroy collaborated with tion dedicated Commons and Corcoran Com- SustainU, an American to fighting extreme poverty mons this past Mo n d ay a n d clothing company that by “holisticalWednesday. All utilizes recycled fibers ly empowering rural commua p pa re l c o l lected in the to manufacture cloth- nities around drive was do- ing, and its oneSHIRT t h e wo r l d ,” according to nated to GoodCollegiate National the company’s will Industries in an effort to Clothing Drive. The website. The BC reduce clothing waste and help company’s “oneSHIRT” drive was a part of a greatthose in need. Any clothing was sold at the clothing e r e f fo rt o f more than 115 not resold by drive. college camGoodwill will puses across be recycled as the country in collaboration with a part of the program. SustainU, with a reported 3,000 The student-led EcoPledge volunteers nationally involved in organization collaborated with the two-day event. SustainU, an American clothing
“I’m pretty sure BC has not collaborated with SustainU in the past but everyone is extremely excited to be a part of this movement,” said Alexandra MacKenzie, EcoPledge representative and A&S ’13. Statistics on EcoPledge’s Facebook page for the event highlighted the impact of clothing waste on the environment, including the fact that clothing waste represents 4 percent of the solid waste stream in the United States and takes up 5 percent of all landfill space. “By donating unwanted clothing to be redistributed or recycled, we can make a significant difference in our world,” the website reads. The clothing drive is a part of a bevy of other efforts EcoPledge has planned for the spring semester. The collection comes in the midst of Recyclemania, a 10 - week recycling competition between 630 other colleges and universities, and in advance of BC Green Month in March, Earth Hour programming, and a sustainable fashion show slated for April’s ArtsFest. n
Chemistry professor recognized as promising early-career scientist Kian L. Tan, a professor in the chemistry department, has been named a 2011 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow, an award thatrecognizes early-career scientists whose work shows promise through financial support. Tan’s group researches a reaction called hydroformylation, an important process used to make commodity chemicals. Tan and his team have developed a new catalyst that drives a reaction to make new chemicals previously not accessible through hydroformylation.
National Prank call dupes Wisconsin governor into divulging strategies MADISON, Wis. (AP) - On a prank call that quickly spread across the Internet, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was duped into discussing his strategy to cripple public employee unions, promising never to give in and joking that he would use a baseball bat in his office to go after political opponents. Walker believed the caller was a conservative billionaire named David Koch, but it was actually the editor of a liberal online newspaper.
Editorial General (617) 552-2221 Managing Editor (617) 552-4286 News Desk (617) 552-0172 Sports Desk (617) 552-0189 Marketplace Desk (617) 552-3548 Features Desk (617) 552-3548 Arts Desk (617) 552-0515 Photo (617) 552-1022 Fax (617) 552-4823 Business and Operations General Manager (617) 552-0169 Advertising (617) 552-2220 Business and Circulation (617) 552-0547 Classifieds and Collections (617) 552-0364 Fax (617) 552-1753 EDITORIAL RESOURCES News Tips Have a news tip or a good idea for a story? Call Taylour Kumpf, News Editor, at (617) 552-0172, or e-mail news@bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the News Desk. Sports Scores Want to report the results of a game? Call Paul Sulzer, Sports Editor, at (617) 552-0189, or e-mail sports@bcheights.com. Arts Events The Heights covers a multitude of events both on and off campus – including concerts, movies, theatrical performances, and more. Call Darren Ranck, Arts and Review Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or e-mail arts@ bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the Arts Desk. Clarifications / Corrections The Heights strives to provide its readers with complete, accurate, and balanced information. If you believe we have made a reporting error, have information that requires a clarification or correction, or questions about The Heights standards and practices, you may contact Michael Caprio, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or e-mail editor@ bcheights.com. CUSTOMER SERVICE
Police Blotter 2/18/11 – 2/23/11 Friday, Feb. 18
Monday, Feb. 21
7:35 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a pipe that burst in St. Clement’s Hall resulting in a water leak. A plumber responded to the scene and repaired the pipe.
12:35 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation in the Gate. The cause of the alarm was a result of burnt cooking. The smoke condition was cleared and the fire alarm system was reset.
7:12 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an injured party at Conte Forum. The party was treated on scene and was later released. 8:06 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a disorderly subject in Corcoran Commons. The subject was identified. A report will be forwarded to ODSD for review.
Saturday, Feb. 19 1:27 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated party in Ignacio Hall. The party was transported to a medical facility by Armstrong Ambulance. 12:11 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a past aggravated assault with a weapon that occurred off campus. Detectives are investigating. 12:14 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation in Merkert Chemistry Center. Boston Fire Department, Boston EMS, and Boston Police arrived on scene and determined the cause was built up smoke from a generator.
1:19 p.m. - A report was filed regarding lost property at Campanella Way. The item was entered into the lost property log for reference should it be located. 7:22 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation in Edmonds Hall. The cause of the alarm was a result of burnt cooking. The smoke condition was cleared and the fire alarm system was reset.
Tuesday, Feb. 22 11:48 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a student who had some unauthorized charges posted to their BC ID. A detective is investigating.
Wednesday, Feb. 23 12:59 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a larceny. A detective is investigating.
—Source: The Boston College Police Department
Voices from the Dustbowl “What do you do when you’re sick at school?”
“If it’s bad, go to the infirmary.” —David Struhs, A&S ’11
“I still go to class, but it depends.” —Anthony Clark, A&S ’14
“Go straight for the Emergen-C.” —Brian Lindo,
CSOM ’14 “Go straight to the infirmary.” —Matt Orozco, CSOM ’14
Delivery To have The Heights delivered to your home each week or to report distribution problems on campus, contact Dan Ottaunick, General Manager at (617) 552-0547. Advertising The Heights is one of the most effective ways to reach the BC community. To submit a classified, display, or online advertisement, call our advertising office at (617) 552-2220 Monday through Friday.
The Heights is produced by BC undergraduates and is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year by The Heights, Inc. (c) 2011. All rights reserved.
CORRECTIONS - Several photos in the Feb. 21 issue were incorrectly paired with the article “Class of 2014 leaders unite for exchange.” The photos were of another event.
The Heights
Thursday, February 24, 2011
A3
‘New Voices’ showcases original student one-acts By Elise Taylor Heights Editor
In collaboration with the Robsham Theater Arts Center, the theatre department has sought to bolster its reputation to new heights by committing support original works by students. Starting in 1999 with the production Preliminary Stages, the department has sponsored a handful of “new work” debuts over the last decade, and has decided to continue this trend with the premiere of the student-written New Voices 2011. Directed by Scott Cummings, New Voices 2011 features two original oneact plays, The Missing Piece by Riley Madincea, A&S ’11, and Chase 304 by Meghan Crosby, A&S ’12. Madincea’s The Missing Piece follows the story of an estranged brother and sister who are reunited at their mother’s funeral, where an encounter with a mysterious stranger helps them both gain a new perspective on life. Crosby’s Chase 304 has more comedic appeal. Taking place in eight girls’ common room, Chase 304 follows their discussion of struggles of women in college. Cummings said that exhibiting these works is an integral part of expanding a student’s value of the theatre program at BC. “It only makes sense that we give student playwrights the same opportunity for practical,
creative experiences as we student play, Madincea decided that it was actors, directors, designers, stage not satisfactory, and decided to unmanagers, and so on,” Cummings said dertake some drastic rewrites. “I did “I think it is a unique experience for my final enormous redraft just before the student actors working on the Christmas, while I was stranded in project to bring a character to life for Boston at the Logan Courtyard Marthe first time.” riott not able to fly home. I locked myDespite the natural challenges and self in my hotel room and just wrote an frustrations assoentirely new draft ciated with writing from scratch,” he “What better way for a and a producing said. “It was so a play, both play- young writer to jumpstart much better, I got wrights agreed that his or her career than by back to the basics this process has of it.” In the end, introducing and immers- Madincea was able been one of learning and exhilarato condense his 300 ing him or herself in the tion. pages of notes into editing and production “It’s one of the the 46 pages that process while in college?” comprise the final most bizarre, but fulfilling experiscript. ences of my life,” Crosby said that Meghan Crosby, s a i d Ma d i n c e a , her path was a bit Original Playwright and whose process smoother, but difA&S ’12 in particular was ficult nonetheless. quite a rollercoastShe began to write er. After writing an entire play for New this play after her sophomore year Voices last summer, he and Cummings as way of self-expression after undecided at the last minute that it was fulfilling and fleeting relationships not the right fit. As a result, he had to with men. Originally, the piece was write an entirely new play in a week. “I only ten minutes, however Cummings wrote all week, fell so behind on work, advised her to expand it into a larger skipped the football game, practically work. After she did, he invited her lived in Bapst. My roommates brought to be a part of New Voices; where the me snacks and drinks. I handed that work really began. “Editing in general in and Scott said he wanted to do it,” has been incredibly difficult. I have Madincea said. After casting his new at least eight drafts of Chase 304 sit-
Annual financial aid day to be held again this March
AICUM event to preserve Massachusetts financial aid seeks BC student participation By Adriana Mariella Assoc. News Editor
On Tuesday, March 1, the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (AICUM) will host its annual Student Financial Aid Day at the State House from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The eventserves as an opportunity for Massachusetts college students receiving financial aid through MASSGrant and the Gilbert Matching Grant Program, to thank legislators for their funding. Students also lobby legislators to continue funding financial aid programs. The AICUM, an organization that advocates for need-based financial aid for Massachusetts students at independent colleges and universities, has organized this event since the 1970s. Last year, more than 125 students from 30 colleges were in attendance. Boston College typically sends a small group of six to 12 students, along with a representative from BC. This year, the current chairman of the Joint Committee on Higher Education, the Senate president, and the speaker of the House of Representatives are invited to speak at the event, and will explain the importance of not only the value of a college
education, but about the central “It’s really impactful when a role that colleges and universi- legislator or their aid sits with a ties play in the state economy. student and hears their personal Additionally, they will advise stu- story,” Levesque said. “They are dents on how to effectively lobby able to put a face to the money.” and approach legislators about “[Student participation] does the topic of help prevent financial aid cutbacks [in funding. “It’s crucial to go to the funding],” she Student “Every legislators to thank them said. participation year this event in person for providing has been getin this event is necessary for and better financial aid for stu- ting its success, and has had said Jeanne dents. [This aid] allows increased stuL e v e s q u e , students to go to college dent participadirector of tion. It helps and stay in college as preserve money governmental relations well as choose where they for students, at BC. but also, when want to go.” “It’s cruthere is a good cial to go year, it helps to to the legincrease fundJeanne Levesque, i s l a to rs to ing.” Director of governmental thank them Levesque relations in person for said that it is providing fiimportant to nancial aid have a BC presfor students,” she said. “[This ence at the event. “Even with a aid] allows students to go to col- small group of students, it makes lege and stay in college as well as a difference,” she said. “Students choose where they want to go. It’s get bussed in from all over the so critical in the times were going state, not just Boston and so we through now.” want a BC presence.” She said that, in order to BC will provide transportapreserve this funding, legislators tion to and from the event and need to make a personal connec- the University is encouraging tion with the students they are the recipients of financial aid to helping. attend. n
ting in a folder on my computer, and that’s not to mention the earlier drafts with different titles, and the countless documents flooded with random short scenes, monologues, and other pieces of raw material,” Crosby said. “Coming up with a title was pretty tough, too. I have a document with at least 68 titles hanging out, ranging from the flippant, ‘Monkeys in a Zoo’ to the slightly more serious, ‘Hate or Date.’” Both also said that they hope that the audiences at the shows recognize and appreciate the messages they attempted to embed in their plays. Madincea said he wanted to create characters that had fantastic and complex character development. “I wanted to write a play with roles that I would die to play,” he said. He also said that he hoped to have apparent feminist undertones visible in his work. “I thought it was important to have a strong, female protagonist. Females get a bad wrap in theatre and film. It’s time for there to be some female roles more substantial than just eye candy. Hopefully I achieved that,” he said. Crosby says that she hopes to resonate with and unify students by portraying an honest view of college. “[It’s] For any college student who has ever felt lost, confused, or alone when it comes to navigating down the
rapid-ridden river of college. We’ve all been there,” she said. “If I can touch just one person with Chase 304, I’ve done my job.” Both students said that the long process of creating the plays will make viewing the final product more satisfying. “It’s going to be so surreal,” Madincea said. “A year ago this play was just a tiny idea at the back of my mind. Suddenly, on opening night, there’s a whole team of actors, designers, and stage crew who are giving this legitimacy to some stuff I just made up one day and I’m sitting in the audience watching a whole production of it.” Crosby echoed similar sentiments, “I’m not ashamed to say I will probably guffaw and weep, too, every night. I am just so excited for this play to come to life.” Madincea and Crosby said they are thankful for the opportunity they have been given, recognizing the advancement of the theatre department. “If playwrights don’t start producing their work at the college level, when will we start? New Voices is an incredible opportunity, because like all aspects of theatre, playwriting is a cut-throat, difficult field,” said Crosby. “What better way for a young writer to jumpstart his or her career than by introducing and immersing him or herself in the editing and production process while in college?”n
“We affirm that BC has already done an exemplary job of meeting students’ demonstrated financial need, however this committee will examine whether we can offer additional opportunities to reward academic performance and potentially provide a form of aid to more BC families.” Lizzie Jekanowski, UGBC senator, co-sponsor of the senate proposal, and A&S ’11
Blumenthal, Short named UGBC committee co-chairs
UGBC Scholarship committee looks to expand aid By Taylour Kumpf News Editor
The UGBC Senate has appointed Samuel Blumenthal, CSOM ’14, and Brandon Short, A&S ’14, to co-chair the recently commissioned scholarship committee, a select committee designated to explore options to expand merit scholarship aid to Boston College undergraduate students. “We affirm that BC has already done an exemplary job of meeting students’ demonstrated financial need, however this committee will examine whether we can offer additional opportunities to reward academic performance and potentially provide a form of aid to more BC families,” said senate member Lizzie Jekanowski,
proposal to start the committee and A&S ’13, in an e-mail. “We are under no allusion that this will be an easy process. It will take time and will require careful examination of all of the challenges facing the expansion of merit aid opportunities to BC students.” “We hope that this will be a collaborative process marked by administrative and faculty involvement in this endeavor,” she said. “I know both parties are very excited about this project and that they will dedicate a lot of time and effort into seeing it through successfully.” The committee is now looking for students interested in joining. “If you are interested in joining this committee, please send a statement of intent to Samuel [or Brandon],” Jekanowski said.n
The Heights
A4
Thursday, January 24, 2011
Sexual health group applies for recognition BCSSH, from A1
Student Organization] will allow BCSSH to expand our programming and continue our dialogue with the administration on issues related to sexual health and sexuality,” Johnson said. “The work we do is vital to the well-being of the Boston College community and our acceptance as an RSO will provide us additional tools to do so, such as reserving space for events and advertising on campus.” “SPO is currently evaluating our application and will consider it along with any other applications that have been submitted,” Johnson said. “It is expressly because we have the privilege of attending a University dedicated to the development and education of the whole person that BCSSH advocates for student health. We feel that SPO should recognize our value to the University and empower us to broaden our reach and better improve our community as an official student organization.”
SPO received 33 requests from students that wish to establish a RSO at BC for 2011-2012, SPO Director Karl Bell said. “Each of these requests will be reviewed by the Committee for New Registered Student Organizations over the next few weeks,” he said. “Decisions concerning what requests move forward in the process and those that do not, will be delivered at the end of March, or early April.” BCSSH has existed for over two years as an unofficial student organization and has maintained a consistent campus presence by organizing condom distributions and the Safe Sites and Responsible Party Kits programs, in addition to working with administrators and other student groups on events and initiatives such as Sex and the Spirit and a film viewing and discussion for Concerned About Rape Education (C.A.R.E.) week. Members of the organization said they feel it’s time for BC to recognize them as an official club.
“Over the past two years, BCSSH has hosted many events related to sexual health, sexuality, and spirituality, developed close relationships with administrators from offices across the University, and worked with student groups, professors, and local and national health organizations to educate students, provide resources, and work toward a more healthy community,” Johnson said. “Having established ourselves as a student group vital to improving student health and fostering dialogue on campus, we decided to apply this semester for official recognition from the University as an RSO.” BCSSH was formed in the spring of 2009 to support a referendum on the UGBC ballot that called for increased sexual health education and resources on campus. While originally formed to support the referendum’s passage, BCSSH has since expanded its work to a variety of issues related to sexual health, including the provision of resources, but also the support of deeper conversations about sexuality and
relationships. “As an RSO, BC Students for Sexual Health would have access to room reservations, the opportunity to apply for funding from the University, and the power to publicize and sponsor on-campus events,” Johnson said. “Most importantly, we would be able to reach more students with important sexual health education and resources by publicizing and organizing on campus and participating in such programs as Student Activities Day.” Whatever the outcome of the SPO approval process is, BCSSH looks forward to remaining a provider of resources and information for the student body and continuing to organize events and advocate for University policy that will keep students healthy, members said. “Whether official of not, BC Students for Sexual Health will continue our work to improve the sexual health education and resources provided to students at Boston College,” Johnson said. n
Primary votes up by 70 percent Election, from A1
sang lee / heights staff
Black History Month culminates with a closing ceremony celebrating African American culture through song and dance.
BHM celebrates culture Ceremony, from A1
School System Day,’” Lee said. “We weren’t convinced integration was the way. We just needed the same resources, and we could thrive. That was very naïve, and integration really was the answer.” After graduating from Brown, Lee moved to Boston to pursue a law degree at Harvard University. She was appalled at the segregation she experienced in Boston, which prevented her from venturing to the North End, Fenway Park, and the TD Garden. “When I was here in the late ’70s, it was a tough time,” she said. “Boston was struggling with desegregation. As much that you hear Boston was liberal, Boston was the first city I lived in where I was told as a black woman I couldn’t go places,
they were off limits.” Lee’s message focused on perspective and the way in which BET Entertainment helped guide the perspective of the black community worldwide. “Black media always played a pivotal role in telling our history from our perspective,” Quinn said. “It provides a perspective to the world of our history. While BET will not become the ‘Black CNN’ or the ‘Black PBS,’ the former lawyer in me is always looking to fight “isms” and share with the world our perspective.” Lee said passion and perspective is what has propelled her, in spite of adversity, to become successful in life. “While you can achieve anything by working hard, you always have to find your own perspective, find your own passion, and, in some way, you can give back,” she said. n
dedication, and visibility of the candidates, the consistent newspaper coverage over the past few weeks, and the elections committee’s publicity efforts,” O’Hara said. “Most of all, we want to thank the students for getting involved in campaigns, supporting candidates, and making their voices heard by voting. All of the candidate teams have worked very hard to promote their plans for making BC a better place, and we are looking forward to a great final election.” Candidates themselves were also excited about the increased voter turnout this year. “We’re really excited we had such a huge voter turnout this year, especially for the primaries, and we’re hoping we can see 50 percent of the student body voting [in the next round], because that would be a huge step,” Kitlas said. The UGBC elections committee measured voter turnout in the primary election by both school and graduation year. Freshmen in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) had the highest turnout Monday and Tuesday, contributing a total of 790 votes. Seniors in the Connell School of Nursing (CSON) had the lowest vote count, with 11 members of its demographic participating. The Joyce-Portes team was successful across the board, winning the overall vote in each demographic category. “The most important thing in our minds is that we meet as many voters as possible,” Joyce said regarding the final leg of campaigning. “In many respects, we’re going to continue what we’ve been doing.” “We’re going to continue to emphasize how
our experiences for the past two and a half years at BC have influenced our opinions on what,” he said. For the final debates, Joyce and Portes plan to reflect on their past experiences. “We plan on talking about why our experiences make us well-prepared,” he said. “[What makes us qualified is] the fact that Justin and I have a breadth of experience.” Kitlas and Long, who came in second in all areas, said they hope to have a strong presence on campus in these next days before the final votes are tallied. “Our whole goal is to be as visible, while being as un-obnoxious as possible,” Kitlas said. “We want our presence to be known without being disruptive. We want to talk to students, not yell at them. We’re looking to be a strong presence around campus.” To accomplish this goal, the KitlasLong team said they have bought more shirts and are planning on reaching out to friends to do a flash-mob. Kitlas said they also have plans to get student input, through more dorm walks and looking for ways to improve. “We’re sitting down with a bunch of people and asking them how the debate went to see what we can improve,” he said. “By having people who are in other organizations challenge our platforms, we will be able to make it stronger and help make the changes to BC lasting.” The final presidential and vice presidential debate will be taking place this Sunday from 3 to 4 p.m. in Fulton 511. n Molly LaPoint, Asst. News Editor, contributed to this report.
Grassroots movement responds to discontent RGBC, from A1
retail price. They’re taking advantage of us.” In addition to market pricing, RGBC advocates options in offerings, giving customers the opportunity to choose fruits or vegetables instead of chips or fries at Hillside Cafe. “You have to pay for the chips, in addition to the healthy option, even if you don’t get the chips,” Neumann said. RGBC also takes issue with the new community guidelines enacted at the 2000 Commonwealth Avenue apartments owned by BC and managed by Archstone, notably the limit of guests to four per apartment. “It’s one thing to keep track of who goes in,” Neumann said. “It’s another thing to regulate how many people can come in.” “This is a social four years of our lives, and they’re putting a clamp on it,” Pizutti said. RGBC also criticized UGBC, expressing belief that it is out of touch with the desires of the average student. “There’s no forum to interact with UGBC,” Bartholomew said. “In the end, UGBC is only accountable to UGBC.” RGBC, though, did not limit its criticism to the administration and UGBC. “We’re also criticizing students,” Pizzuti said. Neumann said that members have noticed the rude behavior of students and a failure to be conscientious of facilities and dining staff. “Students need to clean up after themselves,” Neumann said. “It’s a poor reflection on the student body.” Pedestrian etiquette, and students failing to allow others to exit the bus before entering, are additional problems with which the RGBC takes issue, according to the organization’s public documents. Administrators in student programs do not take issue with the RGBC and their platform. “The movement is quite interesting,” said Mark Miceli, associate director of student programs. “Their manifesto presents some valid points and makes some valid arguments. While the method by which they go about presenting and carrying out their manifesto is open to debate, the way they have gone about presenting their platform will definitely get attention to help their cause.” Micaela Mabida, UGBC president and CSOM ’11, declined to comment on the organization and the claims of its manifesto. Miceli noted that many of the concerns of the RGBC are not new. “Many of the issues of RGBC are not incredibly revolutionary,” Miceli said. “They have existed for
some time at BC and are rather cyclical. UGBC has been working on many of the issues for some time, some of them for as long as I have been here. However, most institutions of higher education are slow to change. BC is no different.” Miceli also mentioned that some of the changes advocated for by RGBC are already being pursued by campus organizations. He cited communication as a possible reason for students not being aware of some efforts. “It could be an issue of better communication,” Miceli said. “As for who has the responsibility to communicate changes, I am not sure. It could be the responsibility of the students working for change. It might be the responsibility of administrators who work with the students. It may be both.” When asked about the potential of the RGBC to produce changes, Miceli thought there were better methods than those employed by RGBC. “One of the best ways to spark change is to get involved with an organization,” Miceli said. “There are ways outside of UGBC to address campus issues. The Quality of Student Life Committee also works to address many of the issues RGBC presents. The State of the Heights events may also be a method to present issues and grievances, but it can be hard to get students to even attend. Students should also get to know who their UGBC representatives are and meet with them about issues they want addressed. Students can meet with administrators such as Dr. Rombalski [vice president for student affairs] who can provide answers to questions and help in addressing concerns. Administrators may be able to help students navigate through the university bureaucracy.” Despite their complaints, RGBC members noted that their movement is more about student motivation to address campus issues, not an issue with BC. “We’re not anti-BC. I couldn’t be more grateful for [BC], but there are things that we think could be better,” Pizzuti said. Neumann stressed the importance of students becoming involved in the movement of student advocacy. “Let us know. Like us or not, we want [students] to get involved,” Neumann said. “We’re not the first to notice these problems, but we’re the first to come forward. We want this to be about the average BC student.” “This is the students coming forward, not us,” Pizzuti said. “We don’t want this to be about us,” Bartholomew said. “If you care about something. Do something about it. That’s what our message really is.” n
sara davey / heights staff
During Student Formation Week, BC Date Night gave students the chance to take someone on a date on campus.
Hookup trend examined Formation, from A1
way,” Bueno said. Cronin has been giving talks about dating since 2003 to not only many Boston College students and faculty members, but also to audiences at other colleges and universities such as the University of Wyoming and Case Western University. “Dating has become archaic, and hookup has become the dominant script in BC and so many other colleges in the States,” Cronin said. She attributes the prevalence of hookup to fear, which she sees as the dominant factor in shaping both dating or hookup culture. “Many students are so afraid of getting rejected on dates and resort to hookup instead since chances of getting rejected for hookup is less than those for dates. Students are so afraid of getting rejected or of failure – they fear that they won’t know what to do once they enter a relationship, or how to break up without causing drama, awkwardness, getting hurt, or hurting the other person.” She said that another reason that the hookup culture has become more pervasive is that some students may want to get to know the other person better through hookups before dating them. Cronin said that she feels that hookups can be murky, though, because some students may be hooking up with the hope of eventually forming a dating relationship, while their partners may have no intention to have a more serious relationship. She said that hookups are additionally difficult because many hookups take place in context of alcohol and do not entail much verbal communication. “Some hookups
can not only be vague, but degrading because some people expose and give much of themselves physically for their partners, but do not know whether their partners really like them.” She said that students can get to know each other in alternative ways. “You can initially go for casual dates to find out more about the person and to see if that person really is the right one for you. Dates do not necessarily have to lead to the question, ‘Do you think coffee and marriage sound good?’” She said that another reason for refraining from dating that she hears from students is that they can’t find someone that they feel is good enough. “There are 9,000 undergraduate students in BC. I’m sure you can find one you are attracted to. If you can’t, you are either in a coma or addicted to infinite buffet—you don’t want to stop looking for someone potentially better.” Cronin advised students to be brave and take steps by asking the other person out if they really like him or her. “I had a student saying, ‘I did date many girls—they just don’t know that they dated me.’ And I would say those were not dates. It can’t be a date if the other person is unaware of the fact that you are romantically interested in him or her. If you are interested, don’t be afraid to ask for a casual date.” She said that most people have problems mustering the courage to ask others on dates, but Cronin said that not taking steps toward meeting people often leads to stand stills.“People are just so afraid of getting rejected that they never ask. But they should, and if it does not work out, they should move on. I mean, I know it is much easier said than done, but it is what they have to do.” n
CLASSIFIEDS
A5
The Heights
Thursday, February 24th, 2011
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Your feet smell like ketchup.
Directions: The Sudoku is played over a 9x9 grid. In each row there are 9 slots, some of which are empty and need to be filled. Each row, column and 3x3 box should contain the numbers 1 to 9. You must follow these rules: 路 Number can appear only once in each row 路 Number can appear only once in each column 路 Number can appear only once in each 3x3 box 路 The number should appear only once on row, column or area.
The Heights
A6
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Editorials
Breeding energy on election day
myBC increased voter turnout significantly, but numbers could be higher with more physical campus outreach Tuesday marked the end of this year’s UGBC presidential primary campaign season. On Monday, and Tuesday, 3,284 students voted via their myBC accounts —a 70 percent increase from last year’s 1,924. While the convenience offered by the myBC interface drew more students to the polls this year, the fact still remains that those who voted represent only 36 percent of the undergraduate student body. We would like to see student election participation made a higher priority within the UGBC to ensure that the next leaders of the student government will arrive at their positions with more than one third of the vote. UGBC members work to maintain connections with the undergraduate students they serve. At no time is this a greater concern than on election day, when the primary concern of campaign organizers is gleaning a high turnout for the elections. One way the UGBC can pursue that goal is through more visibility on election days. Students who feel that the UGBC is ubiquitous on campus—present in the places students sleep, study, and eat—will feel more inclined to invest themselves in their
student government’s power transfers. With this in mind, we recommend that the UGBC work to instill a campaign atmosphere in the physical space on campus. Residence halls and computer labs are already designated as polling areas by the elections committee. Candidates would be wise to exercise their rights to campaign on the boundaries of those spaces. We believe the elections committee would also benefit by marking the libraries and residence halls as polling places in order to remind students of their opportunity to vote and arouse a sense of familiarity by likening polling places to municipal voting stations. The use of social networking and new online interfaces by candidates and election organizers has noticeably increased voter turnout over the past year. But e-mail reminders and voting websites can only go so far. When the libraries in which students study become polling places and the Quad through which students pass are overcome by a political maelstrom on election day, students will notice, and then the election might just become a more anticipated event on the myBC calendar.
The grass is not always greener
With BCSSH seeking University recognition, it’s time to examine the benefits and drawbacks of club status Last week, the members of Boston College Students for Sexual Health (BCSSH) filed for recognition as a student organization through the Student Programs Office (SPO). If granted their request, the organization would receive funding from the student programming budget as well as the ability to officially organize events on campus. While BCSSH organizers have legitimate reason to petition for recognition, we would like to take this time to point out that some movements are better conducted outside the realm of the University’s funding and oversight. Independent and semi-independent groups on campus, like the UGBC, take pride in their distance from the administation—a vantage point that allows their members to produce meaningful recommendations that
sometimes materialize into successful programs. These groups, which are run entirely by students and whose management necessitates consistent engagement with the student body, serve to produce an unabashed undergraduate perspective—something that can be diminished with University recognition. Groups like the BCSSH, who have gained notoriety by distributing free condoms on College Road, have the advantage of claiming a base drawn from and driven by BC undergraduates. Accepting the BCSSH would demonstrate an effort on the part of the administration to engage students on the issue of sexual health by moving the conversations off of the sidewalks and into the lecture halls. Whether this improves the conversations and heightens the level of student engagement on the issues remains to be seen.
Please mind the squeaky wheels
Activist movements from the past few weeks offer lessons and insights on campus engagement In the Feb. 21 edition of The Heights, a loosely organized student movement, the Revolutionary Government of Boston College (RGBC), released an open letter to the undergraduate community urging students to become more invested in campus life by questioning existing policies and challenging perceived indiscrepancies. The RGBC’s message mirrored the campaign platform of David Lalonde, A&S ’12, whose recent, unsuccessful UGBC presidential bid introduced messages of activism and engagement to this year’s election discourse. These movements demonstrate a renewed interest in alternative engagement on campus – students are working to release challenging opinions to the greater undergraduate population through means both within the traditional power structures on campus (like the UGBC) and completely outside of them. We would like to point out a lesson to be learned from these alternative campaigns: movements challenging the status quo find difficulty materializing outside the major institutions on campus, an issue that could stifle the introduction of constructive ideas to the community. Lalonde and his vice presidential run-
ning mate, Ryan Tierney, CSOM ’12, made up the first candidate team in recent memory to have two members with no UGBC history. Though admittedly inexperienced, the duo offered a platform that constructively critiqued the UGBC’s connection with the undergraduate population. Likewise, the RGBC movement’s impressiveness lies in its separation from the student government and its organic nature. We thank the UGBC for its engagement of these two movements, whose ideas have sparked discussions within and outside of the undergraduate government. While it is easy to dismiss campus revolutionaries as uninformed outsiders, it is important to recognize their dissent as being relevant to the UGBC, an organization defined by its history of challenging the staus quo by fighting for academic freedom and student involvement in administrative decisions. With the UGBC general election approaching, it is important to remember that the peaceful transfer of power and the entertainment (at the very least) of radical ideas is characteristic of many a democracy and should remain the cornerstone of the UGBC’s foundation.
The Heights The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Michael Caprio, Editor-in-Chief Dan Ottaunick, General Manager Hilary Chassé, Managing Editor
Contributors: Maggie Burdge
Daley Gruen / Heights Illustration
Letters to the Editor Elections committee also encourages innovation In response to “A call for elections regulation” (Feb. 21), by The Heights Editorial Board: In response to Monday’s editorial, ‘A call for elections regulation,’ the elections committee would first like to echo The Heights’ call to the Boston College student community to be aware of elections regulations and to report any suspected violations via the complaint form on the elections committee’s website. UGBC presidential, vice presidential, and senatorial candidates are striving to become representatives of the student body, and should be held to high standards of conduct and accountability. Furthermore, we want to encourage students to get involved in electing their student representatives, whether by running for office, joining a presidential or senatorial campaign, or simply logging into myBC to vote.
We want to stress, however, our mandate to maintain a balance between strictly upholding University policy and encouraging creativity and freedom in campaigning. We are certainly committed to holding candidates to a high standard, but we are also responsible for ensuring that campaign regulations are not so stringent and restrictive that they stifle creativity and make taking part in the elections process overly onerous, frustrating, and complicated. For this reason, our goal is to encourage fair, amicable, and innovative UGBC elections in which candidates challenge each other to create ever-better visions for BC’s future, and in which more and more students seek to be involved. To this end, we are dedicated to effectively publicizing the elections, encouraging students to vote, and acting as a resource to help candidates navigate the process, in addition to simulta-
Mike O’Hara & Carter Bielen UGBC Elections Committee Co-Chairs
Look to UGBC before joining revolution In response to “Revolutionary Government of Boston College Manifesto” (Feb. 21), by The RGBC: The call to revolution in Monday’s letter to the editor titled, “Revolutionary Government of Boston College Manifesto,” provided a commendable example of student passion and enthusiasm. Albeit a far cry from the democratic revolution in Egypt, student concern over which doors open on campus should be heard and addressed by both the UGBC and BC administrations. Nonetheless, the letter demonstrates an ill-informed perspective on the work of hundreds of student leaders on campus. In reality, anonymously written letters to the editor and petitions do not plan programs, schedule speakers, attend Brookline neighborhood meetings, and
build or take down stages. Active and involved students do. The current UGBC elections provide a valuable opportunity for such student interest to make a tangible difference. Instead of decrying current student efforts at improving student life on our campus, I encourage all students not only to vote, but also to hold the remaining candidates accountable to the ideals listed in their platforms. Search for tangibility, look to their past work, and genuinely connect with them as fellow students who live on the same campus, struggle with the same faulty advising system, and sit in the same dining halls that you do. Beyond refusing to remain complacent on the issues, however, work with them to create not only a united student voice, but an informed student voice.
Personal insults and misguided blame only work to further divide the student body, rather than provide the tangible changes students have been working toward for years. I invite anybody who would like to learn more about our organization to contact us. Our inbox (UGBC@bc.edu) is always open for scheduling an in-person meeting, answering questions, and connecting you to the many resources available on campus. I assure you that your UGBC has been working hard for you this year, not only to produce visible traditions such as BC to Boston and Ice Jam, but to push forward those long-term, day to day initiatives that would make our BC experience even better. Micaela Mabida UGBC President
A critical look at the numbers paints a different picture In response to “Tuition increases remain modest” (Feb. 14), by Molly LaPoint: Your article “Tuition Increases Remain Modest” seems narrow in scope and I would like to expand on it to give readers a better understanding. Pro: Boston College 2010-11 tuition increased 3.2 percent from the previous year compared to other private universities who saw an aver-
age increase of 4.5 percent. Con: BC tuition and fees ($40,542) is already 48.5 percent higher than the average of private nonprofit four-year colleges ($27,293) according to CollegeBoard. Pro: The increase in tuition prices was the second lowest at the University in the past 35 years. Con: In 2010, the CPI Index (a leading indicator of inflation) increased only 1.5 percent and the Fed has recently targeted inflation at
1.7-2.0 percent. One of Mark Twain’s most famous quotes reads, “There are lies, damned lies and statistics.” While the administration can be commended in their efforts to get the university’s budget in-line, there is still nothing rosy about the rising costs of tuition prices in this nation or at Boston College. Richard Mackesy CSOM ’11
Have something to say? Send a letter to the editor. editor@bcheights.com Readers Note: The Heights welcomes Letters to the Editor not exceeding 200 words and column submissions that do not exceed 700 words for its op/ed pages. The Heights reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity, accuracy, and to prevent libel. The Heights also reserves the right to write headlines and choose illustrations to accompany pieces
submitted to the newspaper. Submissions must be signed and should include the author’s connection to Boston College, address, and phone number. Letters and columns can be submitted online at www.bcheights.com, by email to editor@bcheights.com, in person, or by mail to Editor, The Heights, 113 McElroy Commons, Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467.
Business and Operations
Editorial Clara Kim, Copy Editor Taylour Kumpf, News Editor Paul Sulzer, Sports Editor Kristopher Robinson, Features Editor Darren Ranck, Arts & Review Editor David Cote, Marketplace Editor ANA LOPEZ, Opinions Editor Dan Tonkovich, Special Projects Editor Alex Trautwig, Photo Editor Lindsay Grossman, Layout Editor
neously fulfilling our oversight and enforcement duties. We are happy to report, moreover, that our efforts have been successful so far. This year alone, in addition to receiving fewer complaints and sanctioning fewer violations than in the past three years, an unprecedented number of students have cast their votes in the primary elections (3,284, a 70 percent increase from last year). This is a testament not only to the hard work of our committee, but to the tireless creativity, visibility, and dedication of the candidates. We thank the candidates, their campaign staffs, and the student body for a successful election season so far, and look forward to the final elections next week.
Mollie Kolosky, Graphics Editor Dara Fang, Online Manager Therese Tully, Assoc. Copy Editor Chris Marino, Asst. Copy Editor Adriana Mariella, Assoc. News Editor Molly LaPoint, Asst. News Editor DJ Adams, Assoc. Sports Editor Greg Joyce, Asst. Sports Editor Brooke Schneider, Asst. Features Editor Brennan Carley, Assoc. Arts & Review Editor
Charlotte Parish, Asst. Arts & Review Editor Matt Palazzolo, Asst. Marketplace Editor Kevin Hou, Asst. Photo Editor Woogeon Kim, Asst. Layout Editor Alex Manta, Asst. Graphics Editor David Reimer, Asst. Online Manager Elise Taylor, Editorial Assistant Katherine McClurg, Executive Assistant
Margaret Tseng, Business Manager Christina Quinn, Advertising Manager Zachary Halpern, Outreach Coordinator Cecilia Provvedini, Systems Manager James Gu, Local Sales Manager Jamie Ciocon, Collections Manager Amy Hachigian, Asst. Ads Manager Seth Fichtelberg, Business Assistant
The Heights
Monday, January 31, 2011
A7
Opinions
Thumbs Up Little Bear – It’s a real life Homeward Bound scenario: Bear, a tiny terrier from Sacramento, Calif. was reunited with his family this week after having gone missing. He was found—740 miles away—in Tacoma, Wash. A microchip that Bear had received from the Humane Society confirmed his identity, though the jury is still out on how a 20 lb. pup made it that far in under half a week when the trek to campus from 2000 Commonwelath Ave. is enough to knock out most BC undergrads. Girl Scouts – If you don’t have a brand new box of Peanut Butter Patties, Thin Mints, or Caramel Delites in your cupboard, you’re heartless. The little ladies of the local Girl Scout troops set up shop in the lobby of McElroy this past week, inciting bittersweet sentiments in BC students—bitter because very few members of our BC ID-reliant populace carry cash on a consistent basis and sweet because, well, they’re Girl Scout cookies. Facebook in English (Pirate) – Obviously TU/TD is spending too much time on Ye Olde Facebook to have stumbled upon the setting of Pirate English, but what a great payoff for wasting so much life. Everything from people’s names to descriptions of their activity are switched to the clever, whimsical dialect of the gnarly, seafaring folk. There’s just something infinitely more satisfying about hearing that someone “be eyein’ this with pleasure” rather than merely “liking” it.
Revolutions are mark of a new era A private dilemma John Blakeslee On Friday, there will be a group of protesters gathered in Tahrir Square, calling for a democratic government in their country. The protestors will specifically criticize the army and police for abusing their authority and failing to protect the people. Corruption will also be a target for the protesters as they demand a government that is more transparent and accountable. You are likely wondering why you have not heard of this development. You might be under the impression that most of the protesters in Egypt had left Tahrir Square and returned to some degree of normalcy. But the scene I am describing will not happen in Egypt. It will happen in Iraq. Iraq’s “day of anger” in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, inspired by the protests in Tunisia and Egypt, is representative of a democratic transformation sweeping the world. The ousting of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak has set off a wave of democratic sentiment across the Islamic world. Increasingly, countries are adopting the Tunisian and Egyptian model of organizing peaceful protests through social networking sites, in defiance of autocratic regimes. Following the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions, protests have emerged in Libya, Bahrain, Yemen, Jordan, Iran, Algeria, Morocco, and even China. While the size and scope of these protests have not yet equaled those in Egypt and Tunisia, they have elicited a dramatic reaction from leaders in the Middle Eastern and North African World. Personally, these protests have proved to be shocking. After the Tunisian revolt I told friends that I doubted this revolutionary fervor would spread beyond Tunisia. Egypt proved me wrong. During the Egyptian revolution I insisted that Mubarak would eventually make concessions and hold onto power until the next elec-
tion. Yet again, I was wrong. My error was in failing to recognize that what is going on in these countries is something radically new. So, we ask three questions. First, what precisely is this movement? Second, why is it happening now? Third, what is next? To answer the first question, this movement is a response to the political and economic repression of autocratic regimes. It is a political revolution, not an Islamic revolution. The protesters in the street are calling for fair elections and freedom of the press, not a global Caliphate or Sharia law. It is also not a product of Pan-Arabism. The movement is not unified beyond the nation’s borders. Egyptians are rallying for Egypt, Tunisians for Tunisia, and Yemenis for Yemen. The movement is also neither pro nor anti-Western. It is simply pro-democracy. Whether or not a democracy emerges with pro-Western sentiments is something that remains to be seen. So why is this pro-democracy movement emerging now? There did not seem to be anything in particular thatset it off. Did an entire group of people just wake up one day and say, “I think this would be a nice week to revolt?” I will preface why I think this movement happened by saying that all autocratic regimes have an element of instability within them. They repress the people because if they did not, the people would revolt. This is an inherently unstable relationship. The autocrat can only keep power so long as he can effectively repress his people. If his power is weakened, then opportunity arises for the people to revolt. There are three things that weakened Mubarak’s power in Egypt. First, the global financial crisis highlighted and exacerbated economic inequalities within Egyptian society. This created a broad coalition for the revolutionaries against a corrupt regime. Second, the emergence of the youth as a political force gave the movement its spirit. This sizeable demographic in Egypt, as well as many Muslim countries, is unemployed, disenfranchised, and well aware of its government’s treachery. Finally, the emergence of social networking sites allowed revolutionary leaders to coordinate with thousands of protest-
ers. Twitter will play an especially important role in these new revolutionary movements since tweeting does not require an Internet connection. Even if a country shuts down its Internet, a revolutionary can send a tweet through a simple text message. Everyone is wondering what will happen next. I have thus far had an awful track record of predicting these things, but I will try one more time. Regarding the possibility of more regimes being overthrown, this will entirely depend on which way the militaries of these countries side. If the men with the guns side with the protesters, then regimes will fall. If they side with the autocrats, the protests will fail. I still remain skeptical of these countries’ ability to institute liberal democracies. While groups like the Muslim Brotherhood are not the boogey men the media make them out to be, they are still a powerful Islamist force that might embrace democracy but resist liberalization. Just because the revolutionary rhetoric appears to be secular does not mean that the new political structure will be. Islamist groups are better organized than the disparate group of protesters. In revolutions, those who are organized generally win. These revolutions and protests are just the beginning of something. It will take decades for the Middle East to transition to full democracies. It might even take longer for them to transition to Western-style democracies. Nevertheless, this is the beginning of something big in the history of the world. We are watching the spread of democracy in a region where many think democracy was to be either impossible or unpopular. Even more astounding is that these movements are occurring from within the countries themselves. But remember that there is still time for this to fail or for these nascent democracies to slip back into autocracy, or perhaps worse, chaos. We can only watch with hope that freedom will prevail and the will of a peaceful and democratic people will flourish.
John Blakeslee is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
Service trips: serving who, exactly? Thumbs Down
Elections E-mail – The e-mail sent to students encouraging them to vote in the UGBC presidential primaries was a rather shady shade of orange and blue, strangely similar to a certain team’s campaign colors. We would have thought whoever sent this message would have been a bit more neutral—literally, the typical BC maroon and taupe would have been much easier on the eyes. Dining Hall Probation – “She’s a freshman! She’s got $3,000 left on her meal plan!” Excuses shouted in vain as the dining hall police confiscate that ID you “borrowed” to snag a bag of Munchies and charge you with being in contempt of (food) court. C’mon, Miss Slow Swipe, cut a crafty, carnivorous junior a break. Not Real Classrooms – Voute, The Gate, Campanella, The O’Connell House? Classes in converted conference rooms and the site of Middlemarch and comedy shows is beginning to grate on some students who can’t get behind the idea of hunkering down and focusing in areas typically reserved for relaxing and socializing. Oh, the sacrifices we make in the name of having Gasson ready for the convocation of the Class of 2015. Bieber’s Haircut – Baby Bieber is a … man? Or at least he looks like one in his latest Rolling Stone cover, his freshly cropped coif adding a few years (and a few inches with all that gel). All that sudden sexiness is a lot for TU/TD to take in—puberty seemed so much more gradual when we were going through it, but just as highly uncomfortable.
Marye Moran For those who thought that The Eagle’s Nest could never be more crowded than the 11:55 a.m. lunch rush, try showing up at 6:00 p.m. on a Sunday night. At that time, the Appalachia Volunteers, all 500 of us, gather sitting on the floor and listen to a speaker talk about an issue related to our upcoming service trips. We are supposed to leave these lectures enlightened about the cause and excited to contribute. Or, in my case, feeling like our trips are worthless and actually harming the region. Probably not what the lecturer had in mind. All club members submit $40 in dues, sell $200 in raffle tickets, and send letters to friends and family soliciting further donations. In addition, we harass our fellow students as they enter Carney’s Dining Hall and Lower, guilt-tripping them into donating some of their meal plan money. All in all, we raise a fair amount of funds. Essentially all of this money is put toward transporting the 500-plus club members to various sites in Appalachia, where we will attempt to build houses. With essentially zero experience, mind you. Our speaker pointed out that this money could be donated to the region, and used to pay locals to do the renovations themselves. As unemployment is one of the area’s main problems, this would help alleviate that issue, and I, for one, would feel much more comfortable in a house not built by an 18-year old girl. I left the meeting unable to argue with
Party Time
BY BEN VADNAL
his point. Why were we going down there? In high school, I worked on a Habitat for Humanity day project, and probably did more harm than good. After my inability to swing a hammer became clear, I was demoted to painting planks of wood, and even that, I’m sure, could have been done much more efficiently by someone else. So why am I bothering? Why subject a whole new region to my incompetence? Some service trips, like the CSOM microfinance program in Latin America, or the Lynch School’s teaching abroad, make sense. The students who go are qualified to assist in that way, and have something unique to give to those they’re helping. But for most of my fellow Appa members and I, however, Habitat just doesn’t make sense. Why don’t I do us all a favor, and let the money that would have paid for my bus ride go toward the wages of a local worker. To go even further, if I was willing to commit the time to helping that region, why don’t I instead use my spring break working locally, and then donate that money to subsidize even more renovators’ wages. Therein lies the problem. I don’t want to resume my summer job and slave away over spring break serving up FroYo, all for a cause that is hundreds of miles away that I have yet to witness personally. We say that we do service to help others, and while that is certainly a primary cause, it is not the only one. I expect my Appa trip to be fun. I expect to learn about the issues, hear firsthand stories, and become invested in the cause. I may not have many tangible contributions there, but afterward, I will have a real urge to help out, even if that is through less firsthand and exciting work. Maybe I’ll surprise myself over spring break, and some long-dormant carpentry skills will arise. More likely, however, I will meet residents of Appala-
chia, sympathize, and begin to really care. I may not be able to help them right now, but I will gain the drive to. At present, I say that I care about those people, but without personal experience, there is no passion behind that statement. It’s like I say that I care about my grades during the first week of classes, or that I care about my health the day after my doctor’s appointment. With the people such a distance from me, my grades so far in the future, and my next time on a scale a year from now, it doesn’t seem real. Out of sight, out of mind. Without meeting those Appalachian residents, I know that they’re there, and I know that they need my help, but to be honest, I’m not ready to dedicate so much of myself to them. So are we all selfish, only willing to start up with a cause if there’s an element of fun in it? Maybe. But I don’t think that’s a real problem if the end result is the same. My motives are not purely selfless, and if I had expected my spring break trip to be miserable, no matter how much good I would be doing, I doubt I would have signed up. Now, though, we all win. I am sure I’ll enjoy myself and learn a lot, and eventually, I’ll find a way to contribute in a meaningful, probably less exciting, way. Just sending a check is perhaps more helpful to these people, but realistically, without personal experience and relationships, they will never get those checks. Immediately after hearing that speaker, I could not think of how I would defend our club to him. With more contemplation, though, I don’t think we’re in the wrong. Yes, maybe we’re not the best one to build the houses. But bear with us, because the benefits will certainly come later. Marye Moran is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
Zamin Husain It is school vacation week for Massachusetts and seeing the plethora of prospective students touring campus puts us all in a nostalgic mood, bringing us back to our college application days (hence the use of SAT vocabulary words like “plethora”). Although it is annoying when you try to study (or nap) in Higgins and are interrupted by tour after tour hearing claims of “how easy it is to work in a lab with graduate students,” it is flattering that these students aspire to be where you are right now. Reflecting back on the college process and people’s applications, one curious thing is the difference between kids who went to private schools and those who went to public schools. Amazingly, college application stats are still bragging material for current students. There are those kids who still brag about their SAT and ACT scores, and to all of you who still hold on to that precious 2300 or 34, get over yourselves. The people who didn’t break 2000 got into the same school as you did. Others brag about their essays, their extracurricular activities, and all those other things that let the more insecure students feel good about themselves and live back in their glory days. But out of all the things that I judge people on in terms of their high school life, the one that gets me the most is public versus private school. It is not as much of a pride as much as a mutual bond and understanding that I find myself having with other former public school-goers. We all had to fight for the districts not to cut funding from the arts. We all understand graduating in a class of 650 and not recognizing a good chunk of the class that we passed through all 12 grades with. And not many public school kids can imagine going to a single gender school. Some private schools are co-ed, many students do come from single-sex high schools. The dynamic between the two genders made high school worth it for me. The drama that ensued, the relationships that formed and broke were more captivating than reality TV (arguably, this claim isn’t saying much). Even more awkward were school dances and prom. Prom was a blast. I went with my best friend. It wasn’t awkward, uncomfortable, or tense. Several of the people who went to all male-school or an all-female school went with a friend of a friend. A stranger. However desperate the majority of the girls were toward the end of prom ticket sales, going to prom to dance with a stranger was absolutely unheard of. Many would have opted to go alone before doing that. Here at Boston College, I have formed two stereotypes for people who went to all-male schools (albeit BC may not be the best place to get stereotypes). They are either really chill, cool, social people or gossipy, complain-y, and sassy guys. It seems as if the latter characteristics filled the void formed by the absence of girls. Despite the lack of opportunity to socialize with members of the opposite sex, the all-boy private school attendees transitioned surprisingly well. I remember the first few times I approached girls in high school—actually, I don’t, I’ve repressed it. They seemed to avoid the transition period from no co-ed interaction to complete assimilation. Perhaps the most striking difference between the two groups is the amount of joy that the private schoolers get when wearing sweatpants to school. They brag about it to us, and though we agree and respond with. “Yeah, it’s great,” we are actually thinking “why so formal?” Getting out of bed and whipping on the first thing that you see (after a good sniff of course) is second nature after four years of a dress code that wasn’t enforced. Though, one advantage that the students who attended Saint “Religious Figure” Preparatory do have the ability to tie a tie. However terrible it would have been to wear a tie every single day of high school, it is rather embarrassing to rely on YouTube for instructions on how to dress myself (like to dances that I went with strangers… oh wait). The type of high school someone attended just adds another dynamic to the person. It is just another factor to develop an unspoken bond over, or another facet to explore and laugh at the “weird” practices that the other type of school has. As the tours go by I cannot help but wonder whether they went to public school versus private school as much as I wonder their what SAT scores are (guilty, I do wonder it all the time). It’s just another level by which we can—though probably shouldn’t—judge people. Zamin Husain is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
The Heights
A8
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Bubble bursts against ’Canes By Conrad Kaczmarek For The Heights
The road to March Madness just got a little bit tougher. Boston College had a good opportunity to take another step toward gaining an NCAA berth against Miami on Wednesday night, but instead took a major step backwards in a 73-64 defeat. The Eagles now sit at 6-7 in the ACC and 16-11 overall. Every game is obviously crucial at this point, but losing in conference games at home is inexcusable. To make it worse, Miami is a team that theoretically the Eagles should beat. It doesn’t necessarily qualify as a “bad loss” on BC’s tournament resume, but it certainly doesn’t look good. Before Wednesday night’s slip up against Miami, the Eagles were the quintessential bubble team. They boast a couple of quality wins and have been competitive in a big name conference. Of course, BC also has those dreaded “bad losses.” Teams that hope to take part in the NCAA tournament have no business losing to mediocre mid-major schools. Losses to Harvard, Yale, and Rhode Island are the types of black marks that cancel out quality wins over teams such as Texas A&M. Head coach Steve Donahue and Co., definitely wish they could have those ones back, but, unfortunately, the damage is permanent. With the whole season up to this point considered, the Eagles are planted firmly on the bubble. As one of many teams with similar resumes fighting for those final NCAA berths, every single game is incredibly important. The team certainly knows what’s at stake and it makes it that much more disappointing when the effort is lacking. “We did not do a good job answering the bell, for sure,” Donahue said. “We dug ourselves way too big of a hole.” “I just feel disgusted, and we have to get back in the gym tomorrow,” guard Reggie Jackson said. “It’s probably one of our poorest efforts.“ It is certainly hard to fathom how a team that has so much riding on every game can come out looking so flat and disinterested. Miami brought enormous energy from the opening tip, and the Eagles never recovered. Despite the fact that the end of the season is approaching, it is still difficult to assess this team. Do the Eagles belong in the NCAA
alex trautwig / heights editor
Although BC kept Miami within arms reach for much of the second half, the ’Canes escaped.
Miami eludes BC Ending the Discussion, from A10
alex trautwig / heights editor
BC couldn’t overcome a two-point first-half performance from star guard Reggie Jackson. tournament, or have they merely been overachieving much of this season? With Wednesday night in the rearview mirror, these questions will certainly be answered in the remainder of the season. “[The UNC game] is behind us, just like this game is behind us,” Jackson said. “We have to be looking forward if we want to make it to the tournament.” With Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest left on the regular season schedule, BC needs to win out in order to still be in good position to make the tournament. BC would be in decent shape with a 9-7 ACC record heading into the ACC tournament. With that resume and a win or two in the ACC tournament, the Eagles would most likely be one of the bubble teams to make the cut. That being said, the margin for error is virtually
nonexistent at this point. “You don’t play many college basketball games, and you get a chance to play a huge game at home, and we just didn’t collectively do a good job at all,” Donahue said. Donahue and the team’s leader, Jackson, seem to understand how important each game is from here on out. A loss would diminish BC’s chances even further. If they undergo another slip-up, then a deep ACC tournament run would be the only realistic way for the Eagles to qualify for the Big Dance. It’s a little early to rule out a tournament appearance right now, but the window of opportunity is closing. The Eagles still have a chance, but one more poor effort like we saw against Miami, and that window might just shut for good. n
I thought we were doing good things on the offense, we’re finally attacking the rim and making the extra pass,” he said. BC cut it into single digits twice before Malcolm Grant coolly drained a contested 3-pointer from beyond NBA range, as the shot clock ticked down toward zero. A turnover would have given the Eagles a chance to cut the game to one possession and the ball bounced on the ground with a chance to be recovered, but Miami recovered and kicked it out to Grant for what turned out to be the dagger. The BC bench had been on its feet and most turned in disgust and exasperation. Donahue spun and put his head down on the scorer’s table. When asked about the shot after the game he could only muster a sigh. “There were probably five or six plays where the ball’s a 50/50 ball off the glass, on the floor, and Miami got all of them,” Donahue said.
Despite being more physical in the second half – all nine of the Eagles’ offensive rebounds came after the intermission – BC was no match for the size of Miami. After a Cahill three initially cut the Miami lead to seven, Grant and Durand Scott began working the ball inside to center Reggie Johnson more. The big man reward his team scoring 12 points in the half on his way to 15 in the game. Particularly devastating was Johnson’s ability to get fouled, going to the charity stripe nine times in the game (hitting five) including a pair of and-ones and a intentional foul that killed any momentum the Eagles had mustered. Jackson said he was not happy with his team’s physicality, especially in the paint where the Hurricanes nearly doubled the Eagles in scoring, 30-16. “Obviously they were more physical,” Jackson said. “When we fouled, it seemed like we were playing pitty-pat with our girlfriends. When they foul us obviously we end up on our backside. That’s the difference. We have to man up.” n
Wolfpack await BC in Raleigh Women’s Basketball, from A10
alex trautwig / heights editor
While the men’s basketball team draws all the hype, the baseball team has quietly undergone a similar tale and is hoping to rebound from a disappointing 2010
The rebuilding effort no one knows about Rebuilding Program, from A10
months ago to earn a spot in the Big Dance. If you can’t tell, I don’t think the Eagles deserve a nod. So if you are like me, and don’t feel like waiting in anticipation for Selection Sunday only to have your hopes derailed when Greg Gumbel fails to call BC’s name, let me tell you about another team looking to learn from past adversity and slap it in the face. Two seasons ago, the Eagles’ baseball team unexpectedly performed well in the highly competitive ACC with a 30-26 record overall, including a 13-15 conference mark. In the ACC tournament, BC rolled off two straight wins against No. 13 Georgia Tech and No. 16 Miami that earned the team a trip to the NCAA Division I tournament regional in Austin. What followed was heartbreak. The longest game in college baseball history, a 25-inning, 3-2 thriller, against Texas exhausted the Eagles, and their storied season ended the next day against Army. If the 2009 season was heartbreaking, 2010 was dream-crushing. BC had a similar year in terms of overall record (30-28, 14-16), but it failed to compete against upper-tier teams, simply winning against the teams they should have beat and falling to favored opponents. To the NCAA committee, that was not enough. Even though star catcher Tony Sanchez’s .346/.443/.614 line was greatly missed, the Eagles
still had names like Pat Dean and Mickey Wiswall. They were expected to build upon 2009’s success and make 2010 a season to remember. Aoki’s team had high expectations, and the results simply fell short. Surely disappointed in the direction of the program, Aoki ditched BC for the place J.K. Rowling might have declared, “The Campus Which Shall Not Be Named,” or Notre Dame. Wiswall graduated. Dean was selected in the third round of the MLB draft by the Minnesota Twins. The program, once on the rise, was on the brink of being in shambles. A year later, though, BC seemingly has found the right guy to revamp the team. Like Donahue, who talked of lofty goals and promised a roster of players involved in the campus community, Gambino, a former Eagle baseball player himself, has an encouraging sense of optimism toward his new job. “I’m really excited to be back,” Gambino said. “For all of you guys who go here, you know how much you love it here and how special this place is, so to get to come back here is unbelievable. Ever since I left, this is kind of what I’ve been working toward. The chance to get back here and work on this campus everyday.” But Gambino is far from the narcissistic type. The entire team’s fate, both in terms of its popularity and success, is what really matters to the manager. “It’s not about me at all,” he said. “It’s about
all of us. Any success that we have on the field this year is because of everything that these kids do here now, how hard they work in everything that they do. But it’s also about everything that all of those who have played here before had done to get here.” There is a pathetic trend in Chestnut Hill every spring. Students here at BC usually lose touch with our athletic programs when the weather gets nicer and Conte Forum becomes somewhat of an empty library. Once upon a time, the Dustbowl provided supple blades of grass to sooth our backs, but unless undergrads want to jump the fences of Stokes and lie among the construction muck, Shea Field might be the only place to sit back and catch some flies (or some foul balls) these days. So to all the Superfans who stood behind Donahue, Reggie Jackson, and the direction of the basketball program this past winter, I applaud your dedication. This spring, though, I plead you to keep the momentum going. Attend a baseball game and bring some friends. Let’s make Shea the new Campus Green. If we do that, maybe in June we will be forgoing the summer sun in favor of watching our Eagles play in the NCAA tournament on ESPN. C’mon Superfans, you would have done that this March, anyway.
DJ Adams is the Associate Sports Editor of The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.
in Charlottesville on Sunday. At Virginia, the score was not even that close as BC jumped out to a 20-0 lead to start the game, not allowing a single point in the first 10 minutes of the game. BC senior captain Carolyn Swords had two productive outings, registering back-to-back doubledoubles during a week in which she was named to the midseason top 30 watch list for the Naismith Award, given annually to the player of the year in both women’s and men’s college basketball. Swords is joined down low by fellow senior forward Stefanie Murphy, who is averaging a respectable 15.6 points per game to Swords’ 17.2. Murphy poured in 14 points against Virginia and is averaging just over eight rebounds per game. BC’s big performances in the low post this past week were enabled by the hot shooting of sophomore guard Kerri Shields, who hit 10 3-pointers in the two contests. “Kerri’s shooting tremendously well right now,” Crawley said. “I think teams have keyed in our post players so much that it has given a little space for Kerri and that’s all she needs. I think teams from night to night have to figure out who they’re going to key in on, which allows someone else to have a great game.” On the other hand, NC State holds a 12-15 record, but that number is deceptive, as the Wolfpack are coming off two big victories in conference play last week. Donning pink uniforms in support of the breast cancer fight endured by their longtime head coach Kay Yow, NC State traveled to Blacksburg and beat Virginia Tech, 81-65, behind a double-double from junior forward and leading scorer on the season, Bonae Holston. More impressively, this past Monday, the Wolfpack hosted No. 12 North Carolina and dominated the Tar Heels, 88-72. Holston is joined by prolific sophomore guard Marissa Kastanek, whom the Eagles became very familiar with in their only other meeting this season against the Wolfpack in late January. BC came away with a 77-67 victory, but allowed 21 points to Kastanek. Crawley and her team are ready for a battle in a hostile environment, since the Wolfpack picked up momentum during Pink Week, the support week for which breast cancer awareness is termed. “It’s going to be tough at their place, it’s a tough environment,” she said. “Anytime around Pink Week, because of what they’ve gone through with Coach Yow, they are always very driven off emotion. They’re coming off that week and they’re feeling those emotions, and you never know where that can take them.” n
The Heights
Editors’ Picks
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The Week Ahead
Standings
Women’s basketball has a crucial home game vs. Maryland on Sunday, while the men travel to Virginia Tech on Tuesday. Men’s hockey has a home and home with UMass. Baseball has a three-game series at Florida. BYU and San Diego State have a top-ten match-up.
Greg Joyce
19-6
DJ Adams
18-7
Paul Sulzer
17-8
Heights staff
16-9
A9
Recap from Last Week
Game of the Week
Women’s hoops lost a home game to Miami, while Jackson’s three rimmed out in the final seconds of a loss at UNC. Men’s hockey only got one point from its series with Northeastern. Baseball won two out of three. And the West beat the East in the NBA All-Star game.
Men’s Basketball
Guest Editor: Ana Lopez
Virginia Tech
Opinions Editor
Women’s Basketball: BC vs. No. 17 Maryland
Paul Sulzer Sports Editor
DJ Adams Assoc. Sports Editor
Greg Joyce Asst. Sports Editor
Ana Lopez
Opinions Editor
Maryland
Maryland
BC
BC
Men’s Hockey: No. 2 BC vs. UMass (Series)
BC
BC
BC
BC
Men’s Basketball: Boston College at Virginia Tech
BC
VT
VT
VT
Florida
Florida
Florida
Florida
BYU
San Diego St.
San Diego St.
BYU
Baseball: Boston College at No. 1 Florida (Series) College Basketball: No. 7 BYU at No. 4 San Diego State
Boston College
Virginia Tech, much like Boston College this season, has been inconsistent. The Hokies lost tough games in their non-conference slate against Purdue, Kansas St., and UNLV, but have rebounded well within the ACC, currently holding an 8-5 conference record. One of those losses came at the hands of the Eagles, though, who beat Virginia Tech 58-56 in a home matchup on Feb. 5. If BC could complete the season sweep, two wins over the Hokies would be an impressive and important part of its hopeful NCAA tournament resume.
“Hi Mom.”
This Week’s Games
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Tuesday, 9 p.m.
Spoiled Boston fans should appreciate teams Chris Marino
Growing up outside of Boston, I’ve been spoiled throughout the last decade. Beginning in 2001 when a no-name quarterback led the New England Patriots to its first Super Bowl victory to the 2004 Boston Red Sox reversing the Curse to the Big Three bringing an NBA title back to Beantown in the 2007-08 season, I have never had to complain about a lack of trophies in my hometown. This season at Boston College, we could potentially have our men’s basketball team and men’s ice hockey team both enter their respective tournament seasons simultaneously. Both teams have had tremendous success this season, despite completely different circumstances. The men’s basketball team began the season with anticipation of future greatness. The addition of head coach Steve Donahue was a bright spot in a lull period for BC on the hardwood. Donahue, fresh from a Sweet Sixteen appearance with Cornell, has met the challenge of the demanding ACC. With Reggie Jackson establishing himself as one of the top forces in the league, the Eagles have played well down the stretch, defeating top teams, such as Texas A&M and Maryland, and remaining in contention against difficult opponents like Duke and North Carolina. The problem, however, was the team’s inability to remain focused against some less difficult competition, including Ivy foes Yale and Harvard. Despite this up-and-down season, Donahue
alex trautwig / heights editor
Despite yesterday’s loss, BC has taken major steps to improve its basketball program, complementing hockey’s success. has his team poised to make a run at the postseason. While their future is not quite certain to date, the Eagles remain a bubble team on the boards of many, and a few more ACC victories in the next week could solidify their chance to have an impact this March. Moving to the rink, the men’s hockey team has once again proved itself as a national power.
Following a national championship season, head coach Jerry York found himself and his team with understandable targets on their backs. Regardless, York has had his players prepared to handle one of the most arduous schedules in all of college hockey. The highlight of the season was BC’s second consecutive Beanpot championship, thanks in part to the play of Chris Kreider, Pat
Mullane and Jimmy Hayes. This line has proven its worthiness in recent weeks, and will be looked upon to lead the No. 2 team in the country deep into the postseason. The hockey team has also faced its fair share of high and low stretches, none better than the season sweep of longtime rival Boston University. Outscoring the Terriers 20-11 in four games, the Eagles have dominated their crosstown foe, including a 3-2 overtime thriller in the first round of the Beanpot. York’s team has also had some rough patches as well, losing to Merrimack twice, and, more recently, tying and losing to Northeastern in the past week. Both teams have had successful seasons, even though their paths could not be more different heading into the postseason. York, the winningest active coach in NCAA history, has held a long and successful tenure at the helm, while Donahue is a first-year coach out of the Ivy League. York will lead his team from a high tournament seed, while Donahue’s team is playing to stay alive. Even if the basketball team makes the tournament, it will face the toughest competition in the tournament early, starting from one of the bottom seeds. Regardless of how the postseason turns out, BC should take the time to realize the success of these two teams thus far in the season. Not many schools have playoff quality hockey and basketball teams. March was meant for Boston.
Chris Marino is an editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.
BC needs four points from critcal series with UMass BC-UMass, from A10
alex trautwig / heights editor
Mike Dennhardt (above) will be called upon twice this weekend to take the mound against the No. 1 ranked Gators.
Eagles travel to the Swamp Trip To Florida, from A10
doesn’t get up for Dartmouth. We don’t want to be a team that views playing Florida or Florida State any differently than playing Bethune-Cookman. We want to be the same club every time.” As good as Florida has been this season, BC is no slouch either, defeating Indiana and Tennessee Tech, both by scores of 6-1. The one loss of the weekend came in a close match-up against Coastal Carolina in which the Eagles led going into the ninth frame. The team’s three starters – Mike Dennhardt, Nate Bayuk and John Leonard – were effective, and will be called upon again this weekend. The rotation for the series will be a little unorthodox, Gambino said. “We’re going to do it a little bit funky this weekend, because it’s a lot of innings that we have to cover for a pitching staff that’s really thin,” he said. “We’re going to throw Dennhardt, Bayuk and Leonard all Thursday night, for 40 pitches each. That should get us between six and eight innings. And we’re going to do that again on Sunday.” With these three taking the bulk of these two games, the team will rely heavily on its bullpen for the middle games of the series. Leading the way will be Kyle Prohovich, Matt Brazis, Eric Stevenson, Matt Alvarez and Garret Smith, among others. “Depending on where we are on Thursday night,
we hope to close the game with Prohovich, Brazis, or Garret Smith, one of those guys,” he said, “And we hope to do the same on Sunday. “Then we’re pretty much going to go bullpen day, with probably seven or eight guys on Friday and kind of do the same on Saturday.” Gambino is emphasizing the importance of throwing strikes, playing defense, and sticking to the fundamentals. “For us to beat them we’re going to have to do what we do,” he said. “We have to play really good fundamental baseball. We have to play smarter baseball and we have to make all the routine plays and throw strikes.” Adding to this important weekend is the annual match-up against the Boston Red Sox. Gambino emphasized the enjoyment, as well as the importance, of the game for his team. “It’s awesome,” he said. “It’s a really fun day. It’s something I’ve played in as a player for BC. I’ve played in it as a player for the Red Sox. I coached in this game for the Red Sox, then I coached in it for BC. Now I’m managing in it for BC. It’s something that the boys look forward to every year. “It also helps with the message I gave the guys earlier. It doesn’t matter if we’re playing the Red Sox, or Florida, or Dartmouth, or whoever. It’s just, ‘Go play baseball.’” n
ond with 33 points. The Terriers (16-9-7, 13-5-5) are slightly farther back with 31, but if the frontrunners take some losses, they’re right back in the mix. All four teams each have four in-conference match-ups remaining in the season, so every point available down this final stretch will be vital. “These two games, these four points, are critical to us,” York said of the UMass games. “Everything’s tight. Merrimack could sweep their series, BU could sweep their series, New Hampshire could sweep their series. We’ve got to stay in the race here.” The Eagles last played the Minutemen on Feb. 4, winning handily at home by a score of 5-0. Cam Atkinson scored a goal and earned two assists, while defenseman Philip Samuelsson recorded a career-high three points off two goals and one assist. The defense effectively managed the UMass offense, holding the Minutemen to 16 shots over three periods. The three weeks in between the teams’ meetings have been rough for the UMass program. The Minutemen are 0-4-1 after Feb. 4, suffering three losses to Merrimack and one to BU. It’s evident that the Eagles have these conference rivals figured out. Success, then, lies in execution
and mental toughness, two strengths that York emphasized. “What’s the difference [down the stretch] going to be? Certainly execution, we’ll have to be at the top of our game in all categories,” York said. “It could be the mental strength. It’s a bad call, and you hang in there, or you make a bad play and you rebound from it.” Such focus and performance is difficult for the best of programs to maintain as the end of the season draws closer. “Eight points available. We feel that if we win all four games [remaining], we can win the title. That’s the feeling,” York said. “There’s not a lot of difference in who’s going to win this title.” Besides execution and mental focus, the Eagles have found support on the other side of the boards of Kelley Rink. In the 23-year history of the rink, the attendance rates have never been higher than they have this season. In his 17 years, York has never heard the building so loud as it was during last Friday’s game against Northeastern, which ended in a 7-7 tie. “It’s a tremendous motivator,” York said. “The place was raucous.” This weekend is a key piece to the Hockey East regular season title puzzle for BC. n
SPORTS The Heights
Thursday, February 24, 2011
A10
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Ending the DIscussion
Another rebuilt program DJ Adams Two seasons ago, this Eagles team was flying high. Behind a player who someday will have his name enshrined among Boston College’s most legendary athletes, this athletic squad upset ranked opponents on its way to a NCAA tournament selection. Then, the star left school for the big leagues and the season that followed for his former team was largely disappointing. Despite having a steady upperclassmen presence, the Eagles stumbled to the bottom of the ACC standings with an anemic offense and a coach lacking the willpower to make any drastic changes. So, the old coach left and a newand-upcoming leader was hired. He was selected to inspire energy in his players, and hopefully return his team to the glory of two seasons prior and earn another postseason bid in 2011. Despite the fact that it is February, and March Madness is only a few weeks away, I am sick of discussing the same story you have listened to all winter. The famed BC athlete I speak of is not Tyrese Rice, the former coach is not Al Skinner, and the team’s fresh face is certainly not Steve Donahue. Instead, I want to mention Tony Sanchez, Mik Aoki, and finally, new head coach Mike Gambino. I’m not talking about basketball, but rather the pastime of the spring that is blossoming in the doldrums of our country. Baseball. Donahue and his team certainly changed the environment of BC basketball for the better this past winter, but as the snow slowly melts, it’s time to move on. The men’s basketball team has limped through the end of its rebound season, going 2-6 in its past eight (including last night’s terrible performance) and hoping to take advantage of an unusually weak conference and a lucky win over Texas A&M almost three
Postseason talk on hold after loss to Miami
By Dan Popko Heights Staff
Despite multiple second-half runs to cut a 22point lead to as low as five, Boston College could never get the next bas73 Miami ket to put pressure on Boston College 64 Miami, as the Eagles fell 73-64 in front of a small, yet rambunctious crowd of 6,138 at Conte Forum on Wednesday. A scoring drought of 6:40 allowed the Hurricanes to make a 25-4 run early in the first half to push a one-point lead up to 22, When Corey Raji finally stopped the bleeding by hitting his second free throw with 2:26 remaining, the student section gave a sarcastic cheer. Miami’s patented match-up zone gave the
Eagles fits, but the first-half struggles were as much mental as tactical. “I don’t know. It’s awful. I feel disgusted, personally, and hopefully my teammates feel the same way,” said junior point guard Reggie Jackson. “Knowing the talent that we had and seeing our faces, seeing our demeanor: It was a piss-poor effort.” A very subdued head coach Steve Donahue was just as quick to praise the Hurricanes’ effort as he was to acknowledge his own team’s slow start. “I thought Miami came out and just really delivered a punch,” Donahue said. “They were ready to go and we did not do a good job answering the bell that’s for sure.” The coach was much more excitable on the
sideline during the game. His suit jacket didn’t last long and his fiery demeanor rubbed off on his team after taking a 38-17 deficit into the locker room. As his team fought and clawed their way back with full-court pressure and timely threes, not to mention the usual Conte love fest for valuable walk-on John Cahill (six points, three rebounds and a pair of steals), Donahue rolled with the punches. “I could see their sense of panic a little bit and
See Ending the Discussion, A9
alex trautwig / heights editor
See Rebuilding Program, A8
Baseball faces stiff test at UF
Resurgent BC heads to Raleigh
Men’s hockey
By Chris Marino
By Andrew Klokiw
Boston College head baseball coach Mike Gambino will lead his team into one its busiest and most challenging weekends of the season, beginning today. After playing only three games thus far in the season, the Eagles (2-1) will face off against the No. 1 Florida Gators (4-0) for a three-game series in Gainesville. Adding to this challenge is the team’s annual exhibition game against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday. The four games in four days will prove to be a challenging schedule in itself, not to mention playing one of the top programs in the nation. One area in which the Gators’ have been dominant this season is on the mound. “You look at their pitching numbers, and they’re stupid,” Gambino said. “Thirty-one strikeouts, two walks and an ERA of 1.00. They’re going to have big arms and really come after us.” Regardless, Gambino remains levelheaded and is treating the weekend like any other from a mental standpoint. “The one thing that we’re talking about and that we have to get better with this program is that we don’t want to be a team that gets up for Florida but
tant. However, with the Hockey East pennant race being so tight, every last point counts. “Legitimately, four teams can win the crown,” head coach Jerry York said. “There’s New Hampshire, Merrimack, and ourselves, but Boston University is still involved.” The Wildcats (18-7-5, 16-4-3) have 35 conference points, and the Warriors (21-5-4, 15-5-3) are tied with BC for sec-
Beginning the season 11-0, the Boston College women’s basketball team seemed destined for a berth in the NCAA tournament. Since suffering their first defeat of the season in late December, however, the Eagles have played nearly .500 basketball to find themselves at 18-9, with two games left to play before the ACC tournament early next month. Although a bid in the NCAA tournament is generally the norm by which all programs are measured, BC head coach Sylvia Crawley is not looking that far ahead. “Honestly, we’re just focused on NC State and our next game on Thursday, and that’s pretty much all we’re thinking about,” she said. Crawley’s team must travel to Raleigh to face NC State (12-15, 3-9 ACC) at 7 p.m. tonight in a match-up that will have a big impact on seeding for the conference tournament. The Eagles (18-9, 5-7) are coming off a split of conference games last week. They lost on Thursday to Miami 90-80, and subsequently picked up one of their most lopsided victories of the season, crushing the Virginia Cavaliers, 73-50,
See BC-UMass, A9
See Women’s Basketball, A8
For The Heights
Heights Editor
See Trip To Florida, A8
alex trautwig / heights editor
Samuelsson is known for his physicality, but the sophomore defenseman also chipped in offensively against UMass with two goals and an assist.
Hockey East gets competitive By Robert T. Balint Heights Staff
The end is in sight. Road trips, exhibitions, and series after series have come and gone. For the men’s hockey team, the season spans both semesters, stretching over a six-month period that programs have no choice but to grind out. The Frozen Four is still a month away, but there are just four games left to play on the team’s schedule, and each one is important to the Eagles’ next aim: the
i nside S ports this issue
Hockey East regular season title. Next up for the Eagles (22-7-1, 16-61 HE) is a two-game series against the UMass Minutemen (6-18-5, 5-13-5). The first will be played in Amherst on Friday, and on Saturday the teams will take the ice at Kelley Rink. Both are scheduled for 7 p.m. With the regular season winding down, the Beanpot trophy safely ensconced in Boston College’s hands, and the national tournament almost a month away, the series against the struggling Minutemen might not seem too impor-
Bubble bursts against ’Canes
The window of opportunity for the men’s basketball team is closing quickly....................A8
Spoiled Boston fans should appreciate teams
Students from Massachusetts have become accustomed to always winning........................A9
Editors’ Picks..............................A9 Game of the Week.........................A9
scene and heard
cameron’s comeback?
The star takes on a racy new role page B4
film column
album review
radiohead surprise
how does their new album stack up page B2
melissa leo
the problem with self promotion page B2
Thursday, february 24, 2011
F
or this week’s very special Oscars issue, we decided to host a mock vote among our staffers, Joe Allen, Katie Lee, and Dan Siering, and editors, Arts & Review editors Darren Ranck, Brennan Carley, and Charlotte Parish, and Editor-in-Chief Mike Caprio. The results were predictably mixed, although The Heights board as a whole seemed to vote collectively on several key categories. Our staff picked more off-beat choices, the odd ducks that could sneak up and quietly collect a trophy right from under the frontrunner’s noses. While this year’s race seems all but locked up, and has been that way since January’s slew of award shows, there is always the off chance of a dark horse win. Our predictions should help guide you to a winning ballot when it comes time for the big show on Sunday night. Impress your friends with the savvy knowledge we impart to you with the following predictions. See Oscars, B3
mollie kolosky / heights photo illustration
The Heights
B2
Thursday, February 24, 2011
+Editor’s Corner
Putting the odd in odyssey
I remember the first time I read Jack Kerouak’s On the Road. While many view it as a pretentious and cynical vehicle for Kerouak’s thoughts on “America the Beautiful,” I read it with childish enthusiasm. I could never possess the street savvy of Sal Paradise, but I love the idea of figuring out the world (or at least developing a rough sketch of it) through travel. My friends back in Texas tell me that coming up to Boston offers me greater perspective than most. I do get an auditory education listening to both the wonderful lilt of the Southern dialect and the rough, but always humorous Northeastern muffle. I do not consider my move from Houston to Boston my “soul-searching journey,” though. That would make me Felicity, Keri Russell’s plucky Californian native who attends the University of New York to find herself. I don’t particularly fancy myself a Felicity, but it would be cool if my trademark were my great hair. No, the journey I talk about refers to a great Homeric odyssey. Pop culture figures, as always, inspire me in their own Homeric journeys. Not my personal favorite but one of the most popular, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy epitomizes the idea of a typical odyssey (aside from Homer’s The Odyssey, but I digress). Frodo travels to the mountain of Mordor to drop the evil ring into molten lava because only the lava of Mount Doom can save Frodo from the evil, wrinkled Smeagol (or Gollum?). Elves, tiny ax men, and large dinosaurs prevent him from completing his task in a timely manner. Or something. Like I said, it’s not my thing. Regardless, Frodo realizes that he is more than just a hobbit. He is as much a hero as the tall blonde archer elf who steals his mojo. The dearth of enchanted rings and mountains full of wizards in America surprises me, I must say, so let’s consider a modern day, and arguably better, Odyssey – Rob Reiner’s Stand By Me. A late-’80s classic, Stand By Me shows four life-long friends from a small, blue-collar town. Upon hearing about the body of a classmate strewn somewhere about the wilderness, the quartet goes on a journey in search of the body. Along the way, though, they grow from boys to men. Insightful! It truly is, though. This quest couples adolescence with the great American dream, the hope to make something of yourself. Crossing the terrain, it seems as though nothing could happen. They walk through cornfields, pass train tracks, and wade into leech-filled waters, and whether through the sheer insanity of travel or through the company of best friends, all four boys realize that life necessitates hardship. It requires the gumption to get through. That’s an odyssey I can get behind. Then of course there’s the Lost in Translation style odyssey. Remember those shots of Scarlett Johannsson wandering around Tokyo? We all thought, “She’s quite attractive, but who cares if she visits a monk’s temple?” In her exploration, though, it became obvious that Scarlett’s character found more than simply good sushi. She came to understand a culture, the importance of spending some time as an outsider. That’s my odyssey of choice, a week of isolation in a foreign land. It’s a week where I put myself to the test and truly immerse myself in something completely unfamiliar. With spring break in merely a week, I still don’t have any concrete plans. Maybe I’ll book a flight. Where to? Beats me. Odysseus never used Expedia.com. Neither did Felicity, but I still hold firm that I am not Felicity.
Darren Ranck is the Arts & Review editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
Melissa’s big demise
Radio singles by katie lee
atmosphere “just for show”
Darren Ranck
an independent frame of mind
“Just For Show” is the first released single off Atmosphere’s upcoming album, The Family Sign. The track is a solid single from one of the most highly anticipated rap albums of 2011, second only to Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV. This particular track echoes the older, better Atmosphere sounds while giving it a new, fresh, and innovative style. Look for The Family Sign to drop April 12.
Lykke Li “love out of lust”
Mac Miller “she said”
Lupe Fiasco “all black everything”
The newest addition to Lykke Li’s upcoming album Wounded Rhymes is also apparently her favorite track. The Swedish indie singer has already released two noteworthy tracks from the album and all three releases are emblematic Lykke Li’s unique sound and undeniable talent. Wounded Rhymes is due out March 1 and is definitely an album you don’t want to miss.
Named one of XXL’s Freshmen of 2011, Mac Miller received a big honor for a rising hip-hop / rap artist. Just after the announcement, Miller released a track off his upcoming mixtape No Days Off. The song epitomizes Mac Miller’s lyricism and relentless flow. Fans should look for many more good things to come as this freshman holds a lot of promise and has the potential to make it big.
With the release of the highly anticipated album Lasers, less than two weeks away, Lupe continues to release a new song each week from the collection. “All Black Everything” is an informative track that Lupe calls one of the best songs he’s ever made. The tracks that have been released so far prove that Lasers is going to be one of the most memorable albums of the year. photos courtesy of amazon.com
THis week on tv by darren ranck
All-stars and redemption highlight reality TV
‘ top chef’
‘survivor’
‘the amazing race’
One of television’s greatest confections, Top Chef: All-Stars continues to make fans and foodies of all viewers. This season swiftly nears completion after last night’s truly shocking elimination. With the final five working to get into the finals, the stakes (heh) are high. Next week’s episode features the chefs cooking with limited materials in the Ellis Island Ferry as well as a surprise visit by the finalists’ family members. Family members as sous chefs? Bring it.
In its 22nd season, Survivor is back with several new twists to stir the pot. First, the new redemption island twist leaves players in the game even after Jeff Probst extinguishes the torch. Combatstyle challenges will decide who could possibly re-enter the game for a second chance. The bigger surprise, though, is the return of Survivor titans Russell Haentz and “Boston Rob” Mariano. After seven games between them, let’s see if one of them can finally pull off a victory.
Known as the “Unfinished Business” edition, this season’s teams all got caught up in controversial slip-ups in their original seasons, and they return for another stab at the prize. Last week’s premiere ended with a cliffhanger as the teams arrived in Sydney, Australia, only to learn that the first leg was a double leg. This gives fan favorites Cord and Jet, the Cowboys, a chance to catch up from their last place standing and evade the elimination from Phil Keoghan. photos courtesy of Google
Music Nook
photo courtesy of google
Interestingly, Katy Perry seems to be a favorite American artist to cover in concert among traditional bands in St. Petersburg.
Who knew a song could break the Cold War Krysia Wazny Shortly after stepping off the plane from London to St. Petersburg, my fellow Russian scholars and I were handed a welcome packet. If that information holds true, we should be skidding down the slippery slope from the “honeymoon” to the “crisis” stage of culture shock right about now. I cannot confirm whether any of my companions have yet contracted this dreaded disease, though I myself am continually suffering from some of the symptoms (namely lack of energy, minor illnesses, and decline in work effectiveness), but there are ample external elements of our Russian lifestyle that might explain these. Regardless of our state of emotional turmoil in a culture that can’t even figure out how to do yoga correctly, there is one area that has thus far been decidedly lacking in shock value – music. Mainstream popular music in Russia is easily categorized. In clubs and on the radio American pop is reworked into techno or house music. Occasionally, an original in Russian will make itself heard, but the differences are hardly glaring. Bars generally play more of the same, though they are also fond of American oldies from the well known to the obscure and sometimes out of place (“Jingle Bells?”). The underlying inspiration for all of their music is easy to discern, and it’s undeniably American.
So what are a bunch of students, tired of Ke$ha remixes and looking for a cultural experience, to do? The obvious answer is, search the back alleys. With relative ease, several Americans found their way through a dark passage to the cavernous Mod Club to attend what promised to be an interesting show. Headlining was Banana Gang with openings by 18 Plus and Vesheniye Ogurtsy (The Crazy Pickles). They advertised themselves as ska punk, and we all had some idea of what to expect. Nevertheless, we held out hope that we were about to see something that would knock our Smartwool socks off. 18 Plus failed to impress, and even their trumpeter, the group’s only saving grace, is now on my blacklist after refusing to understand my attempted interview (though he may have been given the impression by some members of our group that we were taking him to a back room to forcibly extract state secrets for The New York Times). Once Vesheniye Ogurtsy took the stage, however, the venue was beginning to fill up with listeners who looked less like the band’s parents and we had made a couple trips to the bar. The Crazy Pickles made a promising start with better vocals and some potential in the instrumental department. I nearly spilled my hundred-ruble cider, however, when the unmistakable tones of Katy Perry suddenly sprang forth. Let’s just say you haven’t seen anything until you see a shirtless drummer wear-
ing overalls (the straps of which he kindly removed halfway through) rock out to “I Kissed A Girl.” The rest of the show was a blast, largely because security was scarce and any ol’ skanker could jump on stage and then back into the crowd. I have no doubt that everyone in attendance had a great time, but if I’m going to find something mind-blowingly original in St. Petersburg, it is clear I’m going to have to work harder. Twelve - year band member and all-around music aficionado, Luke Dearing (who attends Salisbury University) said of the Russian music scene in general, “Everything seems to have some sort of American basis. The real creative impulses are in the mullets.” And mullets there are aplenty. Boston College students, Kate Harrison and Kevin McClain, both A&S ’12, also expressed frustration with the state of music in our new home. Harrison believes the phenomenon can be traced to the beginnings of rock ‘n’ roll, and America’s increased musical presence with the rise of globalization. McClain just wants to hear a song about Dostoevsky. It may be difficult, but as long as we keep running into free shows and musical experiences, we’re bound to discover something of the Russian soul in its music.
Krysia Wazny is a columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at arts@ bcheights.com.
Brennan Carley I long for the days when Nicholas Cage had his head on straight, that time when Lindsay Lohan took the world by storm in Mean Girls, and when John Travolta wasn’t constantly battling rumors about his private life rather than making quality movies (I mean come on, Road Hogs, John? You were in Grease, for God’s sake). The days of when actors’ private lives didn’t actually overshadow the reasons for which they had their fame to thank (namely their acting) are long gone. Who can honestly say that they’ve seen a Tom Cruise flick more recently than they’ve read an article about his wacky antics on Perez Hilton’s website? I, too, fall prey to the Hollywood gossip machine. Firefox has an application called “Morning Coffee” that opens up a set of predetermined links every time you click a little image of a coffee cup. My offenses are, indeed, Perez himself, as well as Entertainment Weekly, Oh No They Didn’t (The biggest time suck imaginable, folks. Do not go on unless you’re willing to lose an hour of precious homework time) and Twitter. These sites post spoilers about TV shows, pictures from movie sets (most recently unbecoming images of Andrew Garfield looking like a gangly chicken in his Amazing Spider-man costume) and, of course, Hollywood gossip. I feel like lately more than ever, thanks to the popularity of these gossip sites, in addition to anonymous social media venues like Tumblr and Twitter, celebrities cannot successfully separate their private lives from their roles as entertainers. Take, for example, Melissa Leo. I have championed Melissa Leo for a few years now. I loved her in Frozen River, for which she was Oscar nominated, but few people actually saw the movie. When she briefly popped up in the mushy DeNiro vehicle Everybody’s Fine, I cheered in the theater. In December, it seemed like she was finally going to make it big with her gaudy role in The Fighter. Her portrayal of Alice Ward, a nononsense mother with a heart made of stone, was phenomenal. She won the Golden Globe, critics heaped praise her way, and now she finds herself on the verge of Oscar glory. That is, until, she decided to spearhead her own promotional campaign. Now I find myself becoming increasingly less enamored with the actress as she deflects the blame on other parties. In case you missed it, the story goes like this. Ms. Leo took out several ads in trade magazines like Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, in which she dressed somewhat skimpily I must say, stares at the camera while a single word is plastered across the page: “Consider.” Consider what, Melissa Leo? How tacky of a plan this was? Nobody wanted to, or even expected to ever see you draped in luxurious furs while lounging poolside. Did you really think that was the way to win an award? Here’s where the problem lies: Was Leo actually committing a serious offense by promoting her performance, or was I (among many other startled movie watchers) simply appalled at the once private, now very public life she was opening the door to? I don’t think I imagined her living so garishly in all the years I have seen her in film, and perhaps that was the most startling thing. We live now in a culture where celebrities have a sort of open door policy, inviting People and US Weekly into their homes, showing off their babies, their pools, their new fiances. I suppose it was too much to hold onto the hope that indie starlets might not be so invested in the Hollywood glam culture that dominates the media today. I still hold out hope, however, that this obsession with stars’ personal lives will fade into the background. In no way does Leo’s campaign lessen the wondrousness of her role in The Fighter, and it’s a shame that it could cost her the trophy. I guess that’s the price to pay for selling your soul to the tabloids.
Brennan Carley is the Assoc. Arts & Review Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
darren
Brennan
Should win: Should win: The Social Network The Social Network Will win: The King’s Speech
Will win: The King’s Speech
Charlotte Mike Should win: Black Swan
Should win: The Social Network
Will win: The King’s Speech
Will win: The King’s Speech
Dan
joe
Should win: Should win: The Social Network The Social Network Will win: The King’s Speech
Will win: The King’s Speech
Katie
heights
Should win: Toy Story 3
Should win: The King’s Speech
Will win: The King’s Speech
Will win: The King’s Speech
projected winner: the king’s speech
The Heights
Best picture The odds are highly in favor of The King’s Speech for this year’s Best Picture race, but let’s be honest: Was it really all that good? Two of the three Arts editors agree that it was a heavy - handed and underwhelming period piece that shouldn’t have made the cut, but in a poll of The Heights Board, it was unanimously decided that it will and should win on Sunday. However, one of our staffers firmly believes that Toy Story 3 should take home the prize, an argument that could have been a reality if the Oscar cutoff was June. Meanwhile, the overwhelming consensus, among critics and The Heights Arts section, is that The Social Network should take the prize.
B3
Best director With a strong resume, including Fight Club and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the panel unanimously predicted David Fincher to win his first Oscar for The Social Network. It would be a difficult choice to argue with since Fincher imposed a thrillerstyle genre on a rather straightforward story. The editor-in-chief’s prediction of David O. Russell comes out of left field, but perhaps he senses a possible sweep for the feel-good Fighter. Darren Aronofsky’s dazzling and thrilling direction for Black Swan is certainly popular among The Heights staff and two editors, but it will probably be an also-ran alongside the previously rewarded Coens. Fincher needs to watch out, though, for the young Thomas Hooper, whose The King’s Speech looks set as the evening’s biggest victor.
darren
Brennan
Should win: Darren Aronofsky
Should win: David Fincher
Will win: David Fincher
Will win: David Fincher
Charlotte Mike Should win: Should win: Darren Aronofsky David Fincher Will win: David Fincher
Will win: David O. Russell
Dan
joe
Should win: David Fincher
Should win: David Fincher
Will win: David Fincher
Will win: David Fincher
Katie
heights
Should win: David Fincher
Should win: Darren Aronofsky
Will win: David Fincher
Will win: David Fincher
projected winner: david fincher
who’s going for gold? By Darren ranck arts & review editor | brennan carley assoc. arts & review editor | charlotte parish asst. arts & review editor
darren
brennan
Should win: Jesse Eisenberg
Should win: James Franco
Will win: Colin Firth
Will win: Colin Firth
Charlotte mike Should win: James Franco
Should win: Javier Bardem
Will win: Colin Firth
Will win: Colin Firth
dan
joe
Should win: Colin Firth
Should win: James Franco
Will win: Colin Firth
Will win: Colin Firth
katie
heights
Should win: Colin Firth
Should win: Colin Firth
Will win: Colin Firth
Will win: Colin Firth
projected winner: COLIN FIRTH
BEST ACTOR Although it is undisputed that the Academy will choose Colin Firth’s neurotically pitiable King George VI, it’s a tragedy that the competition will not be closer. All five nominees gave incredible performances, from royalty to a cancer patient to a western marshal. No other actor could take on Eisenberg’s quirky Mark Zuckerberg nor could anyone else capture the sheer mania that takes over Franco’s Aron Ralston before he cuts off his own arm – all of these actors are simply irreplaceable. And although Bridges was the only nominee neglected by The Heights’ desired winner picks, he still deserves the Oscar nod for the dry sarcasm that complimented breakout actress Hailee Steinfeld and pushed her performance to the Academy’s notice.
BEST ACTRESS For her demented descent in Black Swan, Miss Natalie Portman unanimously dominated the Best Actress category. The most impressive aspect of Portman is her ability to play both the innocent Nina Sayers and her seductive alter ego, fusing the two sides in the film’s final scene. However, one editor points out we would be loathed to forget the equally poignant performance of Jennifer Lawrence in Winter’s Bone. Stretching outside her comfort zone, Lawrence embodies versatility in a film that is arguably more relatable with broader subjects like drugs, murder, and family.
darren
brennan
Should win: Should win: Michelle Williams Jennifer Lawrence Will win: Natalie Portman
Will win: Natalie Portman
Charlotte mike Should win: Natalie Portman
Should win: Nicole Kidman
Will win: Natalie Portman
Will win: Natalie Portman
dan
joe
Should win: Natalie Portman
Should win: Natalie Portman
Will win: Natalie Portman
Will win: Natalie Portman
katie
heights
Should win: Natalie Portman
Should win: Natalie Portman
Will win: Natalie Portman
Will win: Natalie Portman
projected winner: natalie portman
Who did the Oscars miss? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - waiting for superman The film was a major triumph for the public school system. It pointed out the problems and suggested ways to fix them. It attracted celebrity support (Elton John and Jeff Bridges). So why didn’t the Oscars deem it worthy of a nomination?
darren
Brennan
Should win: Christian Bale
Should win: John Hawkes
Will win: Christian Bale
Will win: Christian Bale
Charlotte Mike Should win: Christian Bale
Should win: Christian Bale
Will win: Christian Bale
Will win: Christian Bale
Dan
joe
Should win: Christian Bale
Should win: Christian Bale
Will win: Christian Bale
Will win: Christian Bale
Katie
heights
Should win: Christian Bale
Should win: Christian Bale
Will win: Christian Bale
Will win: Christian Bale
projected winner: christian bale
tangled With the wonderful voice work of Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, this movie restored a nation’s faith in Disney’s non-Pixar animation unit. It was witty and amusing for children and adults alike. Why did it only get Best Song nods?
Best supporting actor After nearly two decades of perfecting the art of method acting, Christian Bale finally receives his first Oscar nomination for his fearless work as cocaine-addicted Dickie Eklund in The Fighter. Bale can take a breather as the Oscar seems to be easily in reach, according to a unanimous panel. Popular Geoffrey Rush is the only other contender as King George’s tutor in The King’s Speech. Mark Ruffalo and Jeremy Renner in The Kids Are All Right and The Town, respectively, earned their nominations, but the nomination will have to be enough. One editor’s choice for the win, Winter’s Bone John Hawkes, certainly chilled in his performance as a fascinatingly deranged uncle, but winning looks like an uphill battle.
Hans zimmer
ryan gosling
Inception’s score, composed by Hans Zimmer, gave the movie a sense of urgency with its haunting bass and intense instrumental. Due to a discrepancy concerning the Edith Piaf wake up call, though, the score will best be remembered in mash-up YouTube trailers.
How could the Oscars nominated Blue Valentine’s Michelle Williams without her other half Ryan Gosling? One of the most underrated young talents in Hollywood, Gosling deserved at least a nomination for his heart-tugging, visceral performance. Case in point: his ukulele serenade.
Best supporting actress
Surprisingly, Helena Bonham Carter swept both the “should” and “will” categories in our poll. It’s an interesting pick, seeing as the only names being thrown around as serious contenders have been Hailee Steinfeld of True Grit and both Melissa Leo and Amy Adams of The Fighter. However, the category could get interesting what with Leo’s tacky selfpromotion techniques from the last couple of weeks. The Arts staff seems firmly split on who should take home the prize between Steinfeld and Adams. One name has been completely ignored and could sneak in as a deserving dark horse: Jackie Weaver of the Australian drama Animal Kingdom. A win for her would be truly sensational.
darren
Brennan
Should win: Amy Adams
Should win: Amy Adams
Will win: Hailee Steinfeld
Will win: Hailee Steinfeld
Charlotte Mike Should win: Hailee Steinfeld
Should win: Hailee Steinfeld
Will win: Hailee Steinfeld
Will win: Amy Adams
Dan
joe
Should win: Hailee Steinfeld
Should win: Amy Adams
Will win: Melissa Leo
Will win: Melissa Leo
Katie
heights
Should win: Melissa Leo
Should win: Helena B. Carter
Will win: Melissa Leo
Will win: Helena B. Carter
projected winner: hailee steinfeld
The Heights
scene and heard
B4
BY dAN SIERING
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online voting
HEIGHTS STAFF
cameron diaz
It looks like there’s something about Mary again. An R-rated trailer for Diaz’s summer film, Bad Teacher, hit the Internet this week with mixed reviews. The film, which also stars the always-funny Jason Segel and Diaz’s ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake, has Diaz playing a foul-mouthed, hard-partying school teacher who utterly hates her job. Diaz looks to solve her woes by n a b b i n g the wealthy and charming substitute teacher Timberlake, all the while verbally abusing Segel and his humble advances. Perhaps this is the film that finally raises Diaz out of the abyss of endless, tastel e s s ro m coms.
banksy
Who / What is Banksy exactly? Banksy is the pseudonym for mysterious British graffiti artist who kept his real identity unknown to the general public for almost 20 years. Banksy was given some press when his documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop, a story about a French immigrant’s obsession with American street art, was nominated for an Academy Award. Now the edgy painter is making more headlines, as he announced that, in an effort to conceal his identity, he will arrive at the Oscars wearing a monkey mask. At first, the Academy bigwigs rejected his proposal, but now reports are saying that some are starting to warm up to the idea. Chances are that Banksy will send one of his minions to represent him on Sunday, but maybe a stunt like this is exactly what the traditionally stale Oscar ceremony needs.
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Finally freeing crazed fans from the shackles of calls and texts, American Idol announced that they would now provide online voting via Facebook. With only a click of the mouse, fans will be able to vote up to 50 times during the show’s voting period. This addition to the voting systems was in the making for several years until Fox finally agreed to it for this season. Online voting will start March 1. The public just got a little bit lazier, and Facebook just got a little bit closer to world domination.
on The Session
Confessions of an alcoholic
We’ve all had those moments when, in the midst of a game of beer pong or as the rest of the party patrons sing along to Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” a friend reveals to you that he’s been deluded the past three years with awful friends, he’s been snagging Zoloft from a dealer in Vanderslice 5, and he’s only studying fiZak Jason nance so his parents will buy him a new Kia Sorento when he graduates. “Wow, I’m really sorry. Have you thought about getting help?” you say, sipping your solo cup, “But I hear the Sorento has a lot of giddy-up.” You say something like that, some quasi-comforting and intimate thing that you can still get away with saying with 65 other bodies and Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” buzzing around you. It’s a behavior not limited to undergraduate life, but seems most prevalent in college campuses: people guzzling alcohol to reveal their darkest secrets in the wrong arenas. Some students (namely freshmen) claim that you can distinguish undergraduate from high school social life on grounds of maturity, sophistication, compassion for fellow humans, earnestness. You can’t. While we do discuss more pressing issues and begin to let certain things slide that we wouldn’t in high school (i.e. you seldom see a girl-on-girl fight over which one deserves the heart of the tennis team captain in Corcoran Commons), the vast majority of college students gossip, bicker, avenge, belittle, castigate, worry, and smear as much as in high school. The only difference is that when we argue we use terms from logic class and when we gossip about someone we apply advanced psychological disorders to him or her. Add to that, students also face the pressure of having to actually produce after graduation, to earn an income, to create meals without the aid of a dining hall card.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
For some reason, many students opt to vent these inner pressures in the middle of parties or at bars. After a game of flip cup, a girl reveals that she has been cheating on her boyfriend with her lab partner in organic chemistry. While milking a Budzilla at trivia night in Roggie’s, a guy exposes that joining ten clubs ruined his entire college experience. As a pair of friends wait for someone to pour jungle juice, one tells the other that, while they’ve spent four years slaving in the Entrepreneurial Society, the real thing they wanted to do on this campus was join Swing Kids. And these are just the most light-hearted examples. Abortions, revelations of sexuality, tales of abuse and addiction and deceit – these all emerge amid Ja Rule blaring through the sub woofer and bottles of strawberry Andre champagne. When you reveal your most personal stories, a bottle of Andre should not be in sight. The problem isn’t that students reveal these things while drunk. It’s that they reveal these things to friends who are also drunk. Letting your past off your chest or revealing a mistake to roommates and friends can work better than therapy. Your friends know you, your experiences, your situation more than most people on this earth. But when you pour your drunken soul to other drunken souls, they’re liable to grant drunken advice, advice that skews or taints how you feel about the situation, advice that may lead to a brash drunken decision. Drunken debauchery can revive the spirit. Pee off the parking garage roof. Break your Mod furniture. Huck your late night mozzarella sticks at the BCPD, that’ll show ’em what you really think of the law. But at all costs, avoid drunken soul searching. This campus has infinite outlets for you to express yourself, the worst of which is at a Mod party.
Zak Jason is a Heights columnist. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
adele
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The British pop sensation has eased the Grammy hangover for many with the release of her second full-length album, 21. Aside from being the top selling album on iTunes, initial reports have critics and fans alike gushing over the Grammy winner’s new release. Almost all of the 3,121 reviews on iTunes have given to album five full stars, and Rolling Stone and Spin have written reviews that are showered with praise. Riding the wave of the album’s single, “Rolling in the Deep,” reviews say that the singer has not lost a beat since her debut album, 19. Is it too early for 21 1/2?
Protesting celebs
What’s a good political protest without some celebrity intervention? The ever-growing Wisconsin union protests in the capital city of Madison received a boost from the support of Hollywood over the past week. The heads of the Screen Awards Guild sent a guild-wide e-mail encouraging its members to support and get involved with the happenings in Madison. Coming from outside the acting community, Tom Morello arrived in Madsion on Monday to entertain the picketers. The always politically active Rage Against the Machine guitarist performed an acoustic set and delivered a fiery speech of encouragement to the crowd. Look out Madison, more celebrities are bound to come.
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+Music
NEW RELEASES
Adele flawlessly crafts a perfect ‘21’ By Brennan Carley
Assoc. Arts & Review Editor Taking a look at yesterday’s top 10 most downloaded songs on iTunes, one finds the list littered with predictable hits by Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, the cast of Glee, and Justin Bieber. Glancing further down the page, the far superior but vastly underappreciated British soul singer Adele dominates the albums chart with her pitch-perfect new album 21. When she first stepped onto the scene in 2008, Adele enchanted American audiences with hits like “Chasing Pavements” and “Hometown Glory,” scooping up a Grammy in the album’s wake. Now she returns with an epic and mesmerizing follow-up, certainly one of the best albums to be released in recent memory, that is just as sure to woo audiences and Grammy voters alike. Destined to secure a slot in the pantheon of classic rock songs, “Rolling in the Deep” has already pervaded popculture. Lauded by Pitchfork and Rolling Stone alike, the track invites listeners to 21 with a thumping, aching message about a lost love. It has been two years since Adele released 19, and her maturity and cheekiness have blossomed immensely in that time. This time, she emerges from a tattered relationship on top, as she cockily wags her finger on “Deep,” proclaiming, “don’t underestimate the things that I will do.” It’s a message that Adele repeats intermittently, warning listeners of the scorching vocal tornado approaching. This saucy swagger reappears on the head-nodding
Wounded Rhymes Lykke Li
So runs the world Away Josh ritter produced by columbia released feb. 22, 2011 Our rating a
Alexander Alex Ebert
Chart Toppers courtesy of google.com
On one of the best albums of the past five years, ‘21’ sparkles with ingenious lyrics, swooping vocals, and the heartbreaking story of Adele’s stormy past. “Rumour Has It,” a nuanced and captivating take on infidelity. Adele assumes the role of the temptress, her gorgeous vocals soaring as she howls “rumor has it I’m the one you’re leaving her for.” The song is a marvel. A general rule of thumb when it comes to music is that fast-paced songs hamper any singer’s vocals, no matter how flawless they might be, but “Rumour” breaks that mold with stunning results. Aided by a pounding bass drum, a chorus of heavenly voices, a tambourine, and a southern-sounding guitar, Adele adroitly evades the kiss of death that is the Best New Artist Grammy (good luck to you, Esperanza Spalding, you’ll need it). On “Set Fire to the Rain,” the album’s best track – a hard
decision to make, mind you, as 21 is an absolutely perfect collection of songs – Adele plays the jilted lover with a ferocious twist. With flawless vocals, the songbird guts the man she loves, mournfully remembering when she “threw us into the flames / well, I felt something die / ‘cause I knew that was the last time …. ” The track is layered with alternating remorse and remembrance, a muddy everyman’s mishmash of feelings that Adele captures with heart wrenching fury. Its chorus is back blowing and dizzying, a tornado of vocal adrenaline. Remarkably, Adele coaxes out the torrid emotions from just one bad relationship, managing to fill the album without once seeming cliched or droll. Breakups are a much-explored
topic for singers, because they’re so universally relevant. With assistance from One Republic songwriter extraordinaire Ryan Tedder, Adele finds her footing promptly and powerfully. At its most simplistic, 21 is an album about love, but looking deeper one finds so much more nuance and flavor. It veers between charmingly acidic and gracefully accepting (the standout “Someone Like You,” a goodbye song and also one of 21’s best). How remiss I would be if I did not dwell solely on Adele’s masterful and melodious voice. Soulful and raw, her pipes are the most astounding and fascinating in the music industry. She is able to coax every last drop of emotionality from each and every word, like she was wringing a sponge of all its
water. It packs the wallop of a woman twice her age, demanding to be heard and adored. The most fascinating thing about 21 is that one gets a distinct feeling that it is not Adele’s best effort. There is no weak link in the chain of songs that make up this instant classic, but at times it seems as if the singer could be something truly big. The listener catches fleeting glimpses of this capacity on the chilling acoustic “I Found a Boy” and “I’ll Be Waiting,” songs that stretch Adele’s voice to its beautiful limits. Her whispers verge on gospel-like shrieks, gathering themselves again after each verse, dripping with heartbreak and rage. If 21 is just a stepping stone to something greater, then, like Adele, I’ll be waiting. n
Singles
1 Born This Way Lady Gaga 2 Forget You Cee Lo Green 3 I Need a Doctor Dr. Dre feat. Eminem 4 Never Say Never Justin Bieber 5 Grenade Bruno Mars Top Albums
1 Never Say Never Justin Bieber 2 Sigh No More Mumford & Sons 3 Now 37 Various Artists 4 Need You Know Lady Antebellum 5 Doo-Wops & Hooligans Bruno Mars Source: Billboard.com
Surprise ‘King’ conquers with new sound By Dan Ottaunick Heights Editor
In a move entirely characteristic of a band that is anything but characteristic, Radiohead, after a long hiatus, announced that they would be releasing a new album in five days. A mere four days later,
fans were again surprised when the album was made available for download on Radiohead’s website. Initial reactions were as diverse as those for any Radiohead album: some declared it a masterpiece before hardly listening to the first few songs, while others pined for the days of “Creep” and “Fake Plastic
Trees.” The album opens with “Bloom,” where strange and creepy vocals are laid upon a jittery electronic beat. As has been done on past Radiohead albums, the vocals are merely another layer of the overall sound. The lyrics are barely audible, and call listeners to a
the king of limbs radiohead produced by tbd Records released feb. 19, 2011 Our rating a
courtesy of google.com
The strange but wonderfully on par Radiohead delivers a creepy and memorable album with ‘The King of Limbs.’
sense of orientation, much like the song’s name implies. If this is our bloom – our birth – into what world are we being born? “Morning Mr. Magpie,” like “Bloom,” begins with minimal sounds that ultimately develop into complex layers. The songs have the very same essence of straining and disorientation. In “Little by Little,” the creepiness of the earlier songs continues, and we gain a sense of growing and finding orientation. The album thus far is one of discovery, with songs exploring what it means to be human and what it means to exist. Continuing into “Feral,” this sense becomes our experience with the album. We feel distanced from whatever sound the band attempts to convey, and linear progression through its tracks yields little cohesion. Rising from the creepiness found in earlier songs is “Lotus Flower,” which, while still strange to unfamiliar ears, is more expansive and open. Some semblance of a chorus is present, and a familiar drumbeat is mostly constant throughout the song. However, though more recognizable mu-
sical elements exist, the song still maintains the album’s characteristic sense of mystery. Like every song preceding it, the aptly titled “Codex” is a puzzle waiting to be solved. What is striking about Radiohead is the accessibility of its inaccessibility. Though these songs will sound strange to most initial listeners, it is in the minute fragments of beautiful sound that we find a desire to listen again and again. In “Codex,” a weary, rising keyboard lingering in the background of the song is enough to make one wish to hear what was missed in a first listen. Radiohead’s genius is in the struggle one takes to find joy in its music. These bits of melody are enough to entice the patient listener into finding the beauty that the band has taken no efforts to flaunt. These songs are every bit as good as those of more accessible albums, and once understood, provide an outstanding listening experience. In “Separator,” the album’s final track, this entire pattern of creepiness and inacces-
sibility is shattered. “It’s like I’m falling out of bed from a long, weary dream.” If the rest of this album has been about being born and finding orientation, this song is about becoming that self which was perhaps elusive throughout the rest of the album. This is the reward one finds when waking up and being born. Far more accessible, even on a first listen, this song conveys a powerful sense of happiness and resolve. “Finally I’m free of all the weight I’ve been carrying.” Yorke has done his best to convey a personal struggle throughout this album, and now, with this song, we see the resolution he has reached and the wholeness he has attained. Though this album does not sound like any other Radiohead album, its very uniqueness is indicative of the dispersion the band has always explored. The King of Limbs is a powerful and emotional album that will appeal to any fan willing to dedicate both the time and attention required to fully experience its power. The beauty the album offers is worth that effort. n
Pritchard’s debut album just misses the mark By Charlotte Parish
Asst. Arts & Review Editor Several up-and-coming artists recently have blossomed from the unmitigated success of the Tony winning musical, Spring Awakening. Glee’s Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff are the most well-known Awakening actors of late, but Lauren Pritchard made her own transition from the theatre scene into the broader music industry with her debut album, Wasted in Jackson. The incredible vocal control and tone that won her the role of Ilse is still there in this solo album, and to it Pritchard adds a unique, smoky jazz sound previously unshowcased due to the theatrical vocal demands of Awakening. However, what Pritchard gains in her Joss Stone-esque voice, she loses in the lack of originality in both lyrics and musicality. Unfortunately, the weakest track on the album is also the first. “Bad Time To Fall” begins
with a discordant intro featuring only Pritchard, a bass, and drum set, and the song never fully falls into sync. Complete with a key change just after the bridge, the whole track is schmaltzy and overdone with the title lyrics “I picked a bad time to fall” composing most of the chorus. She falls into the same pitfall on “Hanging Up,” when trying to infuse more soul in her upper register that just comes across as overstrained with little variation on the lackluster melody. When she returns to the quiet, contemplative tracks on which she shined in Awakening, like her solo in “The Song of Purple Summer,” Pritchard shines brighter than in the rest of the album. By far, the heartfelt track “Not The Drinking” is the best track, with the reminiscent “Going Home” as a close second. Bringing in quiet trumpets and background singers on harmonies, Pritchard finally creates the full-bodied sound that her
vocals merit, playing with sound as she pulls out all the stops on the upbeat, vibrant chorus before pulling back to just a piano and a soft solo on the bridge. “Coming Home” mimics this successful compilation of instruments and vocals, but it misses the punch of “Not The Drinking” as Pritchard stays in a limited range that doesn’t showcase her full abilities. On “Hope It’s You,” Pritchard’s voice is eerily similar to Joss Stone – but the comparison only serves to highlight Pritchard’s shortcomings. Singing about the fight she’s about to have with her love where “one of us is gonna go down / and I hope it’s you,” the song’s message is nearly identical to Stone’s in “You Had Me.” However, Pritchard exemplifies the overall failing of Wasted in Jackson on this track as she cannot develop the depth and catchy turns in the track style that Stone perfects. Luckily, Pritchard ends the
Wasted in jackson lauren pritchard produced by university Records released feb. 22, 2011 Our rating b-
courtesy of google.com
Pritchard possesses a strong voice, but lacks the creativity and experience to craft an exciting or original album. debut album on the highest note of the album with “When The Night Kills The Day,” the first track on which she layers her own voice on harmony and steps away from the traditional combination of instruments. Highlighting a tambourine and cymbals to keep tempo instead of a drum set, this
track delves into the mysterious with a breathy sound that builds into a crescendo of sound throughout, only backing off into a few measures of simple piano at the close. It is not lack of talent that holds Pritchard back on this lackluster debut, but lack of cre-
ativity. Granted it is intimidating to release a first solo; Pritchard demonstrates that she has the talent and simply misuses it on Wasted In Jackson. Chalk it up to inexperience, but the best tracks from Pritchard allude to better production in the future if she pushes her musicality.n
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Thursday, February 24, 2011
The Heights
Thursday, February 24, 2011
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US stock market still promising during economic struggle Finance, from B10 11 stock analysts believed the equity market would rise approximately 11 percent. While these numbers may not be as inviting as the numbers for 2010, there are several other indicators that point upward toward the pinnacle of the market. Many contrarians will argue to the death about how the inflation numbers, jobless claims, and unemployment numbers signify how our economy is not completely
out of the past recession and continued economic struggle. Well, in point of fact they are correct: we are not in a good economy. The key word here is “economy.” What is important to remember is that you should differentiate between the stock market and the economy. What drives a good economy is not the same as what propels the stock market. What people need to consider for the stock market is continued earnings growth, established firms and companies, 52-week highs and lows, etc. Listed below are a few of the stocks to look at
when considering this formula for high yields in the stock market. Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) is the stock with the highest market cap in the Dow Jones and is among the most widely held stocks in the world. What is so exciting about one of the most influential stocks in the world? Exxon Mobil just reported earnings that beat estimates by nearly 14 percent. The stock is currently operating at a 52-week high and is beating 10, 50, and 200-day moving averages. This means that the stock has and con-
tinues to outperform itself and that its price jumps are not necessarily due to one analyst’s views, or one announcement, but rather steady and continuous growth. Need more evidence on the strength of Exxon? How about the fact that the top three equity research teams deem it a strong buy? Need some other stocks that are performing at 52-week highs? Apple, JP Morgan, and Chevron are just a few of the most widely held stocks that have been “pushing the tempo” in the past few weeks. In total, six of the 10 most widely held
Domino effect of protests in Mideast
Hussein Malla / Ap photo
Protesters set posters of Gaddafi aflame in the streets of Tripoli as part of a popular uprising against the regime.
Libya, from B10 the people he governs. It is quite a unique course of action that polarizes the democratic appeasement methodology taken by Ben Ali and Mubarak. Regardless of the course of action, this disease may yet still further spread throughout the country. This Libyan uprising has already made huge strides as well. Despite the bloody response to the social upheaval, tribal forces have managed to defeat these foreign mercenaries in the east, including in Benghazi, where Libyans
now celebrate and rejoice on He even called on his civilian the streets. There were also supporters to go out and fight reports that Gaddafi himself for him. As he said, “You men had fled to Venand women ezuela but those who love Gad“You men and rumours were dafi … get out women who love quickly squashed of your homes as a recent Gaddafi ... get out of a n d f i l l t h e speech by GadEven your homes and fill streets.” dafi on national his son, Seif television quoted al-Islam, statthe streets.” him saying that ed that they he is indeed in would f ight -Colonel Muammar Abu Tripoli and in“until the last Minyar al-Gaddafi tends to fight the b u l l e t .” I t ’s anti-government statements protestors to the bitter end. like these that certainly set the As he later said, “I would stage for civil war as it draws a die as a martyr at the end.” clear and distinct line between
pro and anti-Gaddafi supporters. But even if the protestors were to emerge victorious and topple Gaddaf i’s regime, it is unclear as to whether the many tribes of the country can be cohesive and peacefully collaborate with one another. After all, the Tripolians and Benzhani’s have a history of conflict between one another. As the longest-serving autocratic leader, Gaddafi has built quite a distinct cult of personality, comparable even to the likes of Hitler and Stalin. Throughout his 41-year te n u re, few h ave d a re d to overstep their boundaries, since the path of rebellion is certainly less appealing when it threatens your own life and that of those dearest to you. But now, this “Jasmine Revolution” has inspired many to risk it all and go after what they believe is the right thing to do for the country. It’s a domestic threat, one that Gaddafi’s regime has never really had to cope with. Right now it is difficult to speculate the future of the country because communication with the outside world is quite difficult. Phone lines have been cut in certain areas. Internet has been severed since Feb. 17. The country remains in isolation, making difficult the f low of information. But amidst all this uncertainty, what is undeniable is the tenacity of the Libyan protestors, as they still stand tall demanding freedom, despite the many murderous trials they have endured. n
john hart, jeffrey phelps / Ap photo
Protesters sleep in the Wisconsin state capital during protests, left. Police lines four deep protect Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s office on Tuesday.
Protesters fill Wisconsin capital building Wisconsin, from B10
regardless of the fiscal climate, regardless of the economy, and regardless of the effectiveness of the program. Not anymore.” Truer and more fiscally responsible words could not have been spoken. While public employees are screaming about losing their bargaining rights, it’s worth noting that that happened a while ago to many private sector union workers hit in the Great Recession. As Walker said this past week, the state lacks bargaining abilities. There is nothing to negotiate. The state and its citizens are $3.6 billion in the hole. In exchange for the budget cuts, Walker has pledged no layoffs or furlough days for the state’s 170,000 public employees. He has said 5,500 state jobs and 5,000 local jobs would be saved under his plan, which would cut $30 million from the current budget and $300 million from the two-year budget
that begins July 1. By not accept- wages, public sector unions have ing the proposal, Walker will have pushed for excessive pension to fire employees. He was elected benefit levels, which are creating to fix the fiscal state of Wisconsin a fiscal crisis for many governand should continments. ue with his current Unions protect poorly That’s course of action. another performing workers, Every American reason household has had and they usually push unions are to cut back on its so angry in for larger staffing levels Wisconsin: budget, it’s time that unions joined than required. Unions Governor in on that effort. Walker is typically discourage This is the demanding final showdown the use of inexpensive that state for unions, whose workers volunteers in membership has carry more government activities, of the been dramatically declining for and they create a more burden for the past 30 years. their health bureaucratic and Union membership and penis down to 10.9 inefficient workplace. sion plans, percent in the prijust as the vate sector comprivate secpared to 36 percent of state and tor employees must. Unions serve local workers that are members no real purpose today other than of unions (over 3 times greater). to keep wages and benefits artifiIn addition to receiving inflated cially higher than the market de-
termined. Why have all new auto plants been opened in the South? To avoid the United Auto Workers (UAW). Unions actually harm the economy. Artificially high wages were one of the factors that drove GM and Chrysler into bankruptcy. Unions protect poorly performing workers, and they usually push for larger staff levels than required. Unions typically discourage the use of inexpensive volunteers in government activities, and they create a more bureaucratic and inefficient workplace. Their mostly Democratic supporters pass legislation that favor them and they let “tomorrow” take care of itself. Unfortunately, tomorrow has come for these union-friendly, fiscally irresponsible states.
Jim Havel is a Guest Columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights. com.
stocks are performing at their 52-week highs and three of the other four are hovering just off their highs. With all this good news I feel compelled to tell more. Remember that phrase “consumer confidence” that I mentioned earlier? This past Tuesday, it hit a three-year high as it rose from 64.8 in January to 70.4. Alright well, hopefully this segment has quenched your (equity) thirst and has satiated your (stock market) palate, yet this advice comes with a warning. For all you impulsive people out there, please stay
away for the next week or so. With problems festering in Libya and the stock market having its third consecutive week of gains, expect many people to sell off for the remainder of the week and perhaps even into next week. However, once this “passing shower” ends, feel free to jump in with both feet as 2011 promises to be another profitable year for many. Alex Dripchak is a Staff Columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at marketplace@ bcheights.com.
Politically Speaking
Obama reconsiders same-sex marriage
their constant anxieties about being reelected. Members of the House of Representatives are almost always in campaign-mode, Senators can very easily lose their seats if they are perceived as not strictly following their Dan Ottaunick party’s platform, and first-term presidents fear the voter backUnder the advisory of Presilash associated with taking bold dent Barack Obama, Attorney stances. General Eric Holder has sent a How will this change in our letter to Congress stating that social stances impact Amerithe Department of Justice will cans? Because same-sex marno longer uphold the Defense of riage has never been supported Marriage Act as constitutional. in America, the negative stigma The 1996 law, which has served attached to such unions will as a rationale for denying samenot fade as quickly as the laws sex couples the same marital preventing them. Many Amerirights as those afforded to cans fervently oppose same-sex heterosexual couples, is now bemarriage because of religious ing considered unconstitutional reasons or fear of change, and by the president. No president this will not become change has ever taken this stance, and any time soon. GLBTQ Amerithe president’s statement sends cans have long struggled for a powerful message about the the same rights afforded to all nation’s stance on social equalother Americans, and their lack ity. Though the president has of success is a black mark on long been opposed to the ban on America’s history. Like the past gay marriage in America, many and current oppressions impacthave criticized him for his rela- ing women and racial minoritive silence on the issue. Though ties, the laws preventing social his rhetoric during his 2008 equality for GLBTQ Americans election campaign led many to are unjust and not defendable believe he would quickly work under the Constitution. Though to legalize same-sex marriage, people are justified in opposing same-sex Obama made few marriage unsteps toward this Though Obama’s der whatever goal since taking rationale they declaration sends office. This move, may choose, however, sends a a powerful and it is undenipowerful message resounding message able that a to Obama’s suplaw preventporters and deto America and to ing such tractors. By taking the world, the many marriages such an initiative, is unconparticularly durwho will continue stitutional. ing the beginning to oppose sameReligious of election season, values should Obama has shown sex marriage will not impact that his values are continue to be vocal laws, which more important in their opposition. is why church than potentially and state are isolating voters. supposed to Such a stance be separate. is not common among first-term With this shift in governmenpresidents. Though many in the tal policy, we may hope to see past have advocated for social the social viewpoints of GLBTQ change, few have possessed Americans follow the same the gall to follow through on paths toward acceptance and such initiatives because of the integration that those of racial fear associated with angering minorities and women have religious or conservative voters. taken. Though there are still Though many past democratic presidents have been opposed to numerous systematic problems impacting both of the aforementhe ban on gay marriage, none tioned groups, it is undeniable have taken the initiative that that the average racial minorObama has. By placing social ity or woman in America is far equality over politics, Obama better off than he or she would has in many ways become the have been a hundred years ago. lofty figure many had hoped Though there is much progress he could be during his elecyet to be made, that which has tion campaign. As he has spent taken place has been positive. much time working on fixing the If such progression can begin economy and working toward for GLBTQ Americans, we may ending conflicts in the Middle hope that negative social stigEast, Obama has let falter mas associated with this group much of the social changes he may one day fade so that true promised to make. This moveequality can be reached. ment, though one of many the For America to truly change president needs to make should and become socially equal, any he work to achieve the values he transition must begin on the insupports, is a strong shift in the dividual level. Though Obama’s right direction. declaration sends a powerThe history of gay marful and resounding message riage in America raises serious to America and to the world, questions about the American the many who will continue to political system. The fear that oppose same-sex marriage will has prevented politicians from continue to be vocal in their oplegalizing same-sex marriage in the past has also been applied to position. Our nation has many many other social issues. Ameri- social issues that need to be changed on a legal level, but uncan drug laws are still based on til individuals take the initiative outdated classifications, church to support policies of equality and state are still very much rather than those of comfort blended, and tax laws are very much a result of politicians pan- and convenience, no significant change will ever occur. dering to their bases. Despite the relative ease of solving many Dan Ottaunick is a Heights editor. of these problems, politicians He welcomes comments at marketare far too often afraid to take place@bcheights.com. controversial stances because of
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Thursday, February 24, 2011
Obama proposes $60 billion in budget cuts By John Morrison Heights Staff
This week the House of Representatives voted 235 to 189 to pass $60 billion in budget cuts. The bill, sponsored primarily by Republicans, suggests these cuts be implemented over the last seven months of fiscal year 2011, which ends Sept. 31. In light of the fact that the Democrat - controlled Senate, along with all of the 186 Democrats in the House, disapproved of the bill many wonder whether it will be possible for legislators to put aside party differences and come up with a bipartisan agreement to combat the rising national deficit that President Barack Obama will approve. Obama’s proposed budget plan calls for cuts virtually across the board in domestic spending on government programs he feels are accesory. Most notably, his budget calls for a reduction of the Pentagon budget by nearly $78 billion over the next five years. Concurrently, with these cuts in spending, the proposed budget makes room for increases in spending on education, clean energy, infrastructure, innovation, and research. Obama’s budget plan has drawn criticism from Republicans
because of their widely held belief that Obama is not doing enough to curtail the deficit. Republicans on Capitol Hill rejected his idea of budgetary investments, citing them as runaway spending that would lead to an increase in the deficit. On Thursday, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) told reporters of CNN, “When we say we are going to cut spending, read my lips: We are going to cut spending.” Furthermore, he was specific in stating that Republicans would not pass a bill that did not cut budget spending significantly. Obama and other Democrats have scoffed at the Republicans’ short-term budget plan which is to institute $60 billion in spending cuts followed by increased cuts in the years to come. Democrat Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi fired back by stating the Democrats’ plan for maintaining 2010 funding levels for the short term will be introduced in the coming weeks. “I am hopeful Republican leaders will agree to a short term extension of the freeze as we work to pass a bill the President can sign into law for the remainder of 2011.” she told reporters. Republicans countered Pelosi’s idea by stating that the American people do not want a freeze on the current
spending levels creating increased tension between party lines. The difficulty legislators face is balancing their competing economic philosophies on how to solve the recession while at the same time making sure their policies do not lead America into drastic and potentially unrecoverable budget deficits. In regards to long-term budget difficulties, Obama, the Democrats, and the Republican leaders have not been quick to announce any solutions. At the moment, there are still no plans on either side to discuss the long-term budget problems such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. These programs are set to see an increase in spending in the coming years because of the aging United States population. Many agree that these programs could possibly lead to increased deficits in the future. Politicians on both sides have been quick to point fingers, but both sides are far from discussing the long-term approach needed to fix the problems that the fiscal commission majority and other bipartisan debt-reduction groups have suggested. These groups have recommended a plan to save nearly $4 trillion over the next 10 years. The savings would come from cuts in almost all domestic
and military spending along with an overhaul of the tax code. According to reporters of The New York Times, these bipartisan suggestions have been ignored as of late because of disagreements between party lines. Disputes over budget philosophies have been going on for years, but in this time of economic peril, with the unemployment rate hovering around 10 percent and the national debt at nearly $14 trillion, Republicans and Democrats are polarized between cutting spending and the future risks involved with those spending cuts if the economy does not turn around in the near future. The New York Times reported that based on a public survey conducted earlier this month, most voters do not share the same desire to implement the drastic cuts suggested by the House of Representatives $60 billion bill. With the 2012 elections looming on the horizon, Republican strategist Mark McKinnon stated, “If Republicans push too far and overreach their mandate, they will be punished by independent voters, just as they were in 1996.” According to analysts, if the budget stalemate approaches same levels as it did in 1995, when debates between the Republican controlled House and former
Pirates hijack touring yacht
By Michela Gacioch Heights Staff
Reports surfaced Tuesday morning that all four Americans aboard a yacht hijacked by Somali pirates had been killed off the coast of Oman. Rally organizers told reporters Sunday that the crew had been traveling with yachts participating in the Blue Water Rally, a group cruising expedition, since its departure from Phuket, Thailand. On Feb. 15, the yacht, S/V Quest, which was owned by Jean and Scott Adams and worked on by Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle, decided to take an alternate route than the group after leaving Mumbai, India. A statement from United States Central Command revealed that gunfire erupted aboard the pirated vessel as negotiations for the captives’ release were underway. “As they responded to the gunfire, reaching and boarding the Quest, the forces discovered all four hostages had been shot by their captors. Despite immediate steps to provide life-saving care, all four hostages ultimately died of their wounds,” said the statement. Two of the pirates reportedly died during the confrontation with a U.S. reaction force. According to Central Command, 13 other pirates were captured, along with two who were already in the custody of U.S. forces. Two other pirates were already dead when U.S. forces boarded the S/V Quest, the statement revealed. In total, 19 pirates are
believed to have been involved in the hijacking. U.S. forces had been monitoring the Adams’ yacht for about three days before the deaths were believed to have taken place. An aircraft carrier, a guided-missile cruiser, and two guided-missile destroyers composed the reaction force that confronted the pirates. The U.S. Navy ships were in the region to conduct “maritime security operations” and provide support for U.S. operations, the statement said. Jean and Scott Adams, a couple from Southern California, have been sailing the globe for the past six years. “Djibouti is a big refueling stop,” wrote Jean Adams, a retired dentist, on her and her husband’s blog. “I have no idea what will happen in these ports, but perhaps we’ll do some local touring.” Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse that Friday as the pirates boarded the Quest, a blue Davidson 58 Pilot House Sloop. The Adams’ case is eerily reminiscent of that of Paul and Rachel Chandler, sailors from a London suburb seeking adventure in similar waters in 2009. Somali gunmen seized the Chandlers’ boat and held the couple hostage for more than a year. Th e A m e r i ca n Navy has warned ship owners of the importance of remaining in designated shipping lanes when passing through these waters of the Arabian Sea, waters in which pirates continue to strike despite the presence of dozens of
j. scott applewhite / Ap photo
Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan responds to the proposed budget. President Bill Clinton led to a government shutdown, disastrous results will occur. White House budget officials have stated that they see no need in preparing for a government shutdown due to the belief that eventually Congress and the President will work out their budget differences. David
Winston, a GOP pollster, confirmed this belief to reporters of The Wall Street Journal earlier this week: “Boehner has been very clear—publicly and in private with the Republican conference —that the goal is to get the [budget] passed, not to shut down the government.”
Watson earns money for charity Watson, from B10
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Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle, above, were killed by pirates near Djibouti. warships. The Navy sometimes provides escorts for convoys and the ships often travel in numbers for safety. “But we can’t track everything, we can’t track everybody, it’s too large of an area,” said Bob Prucha, a spokesman for the military’s Central Command, to reporters on Saturday. He added that it is “common knowledge” how dangerous those waters are. Scott Stolnitz, a friend of Scott and Jean Adams, told reporters that Scott mentioned that he was aware of the risks of traveling through such dangerous waters. They had a device on his boat called a Spot communicator, which can transmit his yacht’s location to his blog website. Stolnitz told reporters that Adams said he was going to turn it off during this particular voyage, because he had heard that pirates may be capable of tracking such a device. In the past few years, ransoms
for pirate hostages have shot up from a few hundred thousand dollars to now typically $4 million or $5 million. According to Ecoterra International, an organization that monitors piracy attacks, more than 50 captured ships are currently in the hands of Somali pirates. In these ships are at least 800 captives. The Chandlers were released in November after their friends and others paid around $1 million in ransom. Unfortunately, the Adams’ and their crew were not that lucky. The Adams’ began their voyage around the world in 2004. For the past six years they have ventured from New Zealand to Tahiti to the Galapagos Islands to the Hawaiian Islands to China and India. Adams wrote that she wanted to blog as much as possible, but, “Since this trip is a reflection of our life and because life on a moving boat is unpredictable, we expect this trip to hold some unexpected surprises!” n
an answer in order to determine whether it should buzz in or not. As if that weren’t enough, IBM computed that the average Jeopardy! contestant answers a question approximately three and half seconds after host Alex Trebek finishes reading the clue. Watson can do it in less than three. Touche, IBM. Touche. Yes, Watson won. Not because he was smarter than humankind, but rather because he was quicker. Since Watson doesn’t have the ability to recognize speech, after reading the clue that was sent to him electronically by Trebek, once he had the answer, he was always able to buzz in with a constant turnaround time of less than three seconds. IBM researchers estimate that a quarter of a second made all the difference. Jennings wrote to The New York Times saying, “Is it really head and shoulders above the best human Jeopardy! players, the way it looked on TV? Not by a long shot. The reflexes of even a very good human player will vary slightly, but not Watson’s. If it knows the answer, it makes the perfect buzz. Every single time. And it’s hard to win if you can’t buzz.” Ultimately, it became a game of quick reflexes, snagging the Daily Doubles, with a little bit of luck for the humans and probability for Watson. However, this game was about more than Watson’s ability to whip up the correct response faster than Retter and Jennings. On a deeper level,
Watson was about people. IBM first called Watson a “Grand Challenge,” which “involves picking a goal that seems impossible given the current state of technology and dedicating a team of [IBM’s] best and brightest to come up with a way to reach that goal,” wrote Joe Damassa, vice president of corporate strategy for IBM to The Heights. The Grand Challenge has inspired humans to explore the vast frontiers of imagination and creativity to build a smarter planet that will benefit all. Watson’s Jeopardy! match-up was not the end of four years of work, but rather the beginning of a revolution. The next step is for these supercomputers to be programmed to understand natural human language and to answer difficult questions in the medical, business, and technology support fields. Damassa believes that “the real stars are the humans who built Watson, and the real beneficiaries will be the humans who use the technology that Watson inspires to provide more informed decisions.” No, computers aren’t taking over the world. Instead, they’re helping to advance the human race, starting by donating $1 million to charity. So we might as well sit back and relax, and as Trebek said, “Witness what may prove to be an historic competition.” Only this time: machine versus time. I’ll take Watson for the Future for $1000, Alex. Clara Kim is a Heights editor. She welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights.com.
Rahm Emanuel
By David Cote
Marketplace Editor
Rahm Emanuel was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1959. His father was born in Jerusalem and worked as a pediatrician. His mother worked in the Civil Rights Movement and owned a local rock ‘n’ roll club. Both of his parents were Jewish. Growing up, Emanuel attended summer camp with his brothers in Israel. While working at an Arby’s restaurant during his high school years, Emanul cut his right middle finger, which became infected and had to be partially amputated. He graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1981 with a B.A. in Liberal Arts and then an M.A. in Speech and Communication from Northwestern University in 1985. Emanuel began his political career with Illinois Public Action upon graduation. In 1984, he worked for Paul Simon’s 1984 election to the United States Senate. In 1988, Emanuel was the national campaign director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. When then-Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton’s
presidential campaign began, Emanuel was director of the campaign’s finance committee. Emanuel cleverly scheduled a fundraising tour, which later proved crucial to Clinton’s success. After the campaign, Emanuel became a senior advisor to Clinton at the White House from 1993 to 1998. Emanuel won the 5th District of Illinois U.S. House seat in 2002. In 2008, Emanuel declared support for his homestate senator Barack Obama. After Obama’s successful campaign, Emanuel accepted the position of White House chief of staff, serving until his resignation in 2010 to run for mayor of Chicago. After a short controversy over his residency in Illinois, Emanuel was cleared for candidacy and was elected mayor of Chicago on Feb. 22, 2011. He is Chicago’s first Jewish mayor. Emanuel is known for his “take-no-prisoners style.” He is alleged to have sent a dead fish to a pollster who was late delivering polling results. He often participates in triathlons, is married, and has one son and two daughters. n
The Heights
Thursday, February 24, 2011
David Cote
Marketplace Editor
Matt Palazzolo
Asst. Marketplace Editor
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Adriana Mariella
Kristoffer Munden President, College Democrats
Tomas Castella
Assoc. News Editor
President, College Republicans
How many more Middle Eastern leaders will be successfully overthrown by popular protests?
Hopefully all of them!
Negative one. Mubarak, aided by the Book of the Living, will triumphantly return to Egypt.
I’d like to see shifts in power without potentially volatile protests.
Unfortunately, none without lots of bloodshed.
At least one more. I think Gadaffi’s going to be done soon.
Should Texas approve a bill that will allow concealed weapons on campuses?
No way. Even if you support gun rights it’s crazy. See: Virginia Tech.
Arnold Schwarzenegger. Kindergarten Cop. Case closed.
No. There’s no reason to have a gun on a college campus.
Even if you believe in concealed carry, it’s a tough one to argue for on campus
No. College students are NOT a well-organized militia.
Is Clarence Thomas’ five-year silence during Supreme Court debates admirable or foolish?
Kind of foolish. It’s his job to listen but it’s also his job to voice his opinion.
It means Scalia lost his puppet strings five years ago.
It’s not as if he’s inarticulate, it’s just his style.
He prefers to listen and then form an opinion in writing. Nothing foolish about that.
His silence indicates that he’s not completely there, which can be reflected in his written opinions.
Is conservative criticism of Michelle Obama’s anti-obesity program justified?
Partially. People should have the sense to make their own decisions.
Of course. Without obesity, the White House wouldn’t have former president Taft’s XXXL luxury bathtub.
It’s common sense to police what one eats, plenty of us have managed it so far.
It’s a lost cause. Everybody loves happy meals.
If it is, then we should just get rid of the FDA.
International Insights
Political Belief
Burst of an economic bubble Olena Savytska As the economy of the United States begins to breathe a sigh of relief following the events of 2008, it is time to look back on the crisis from a historical, yet fresh, perspective. What exactly precipitated the collapse of Lehman Brothers, then the fall in housing prices, then the arrest of Bernie Madoff, then the further fall in housing prices? An economist would see it as a typical business dynamic of bubble and burst. Inhabitants of the Capitol would blame the financial crisis on a lack of transparency. A theologian would likely see in this crisis a shortage of moral virtue. It is from this perspective that we will evaluate the crisis now. In his book Moral Wisdom, Rev. James F. Keenan, S.J., a professor in the theology department, emphasizes the collective nature of sin. In his view, all sin is ultimately social. We can interpret this claim on two levels: first, in the more obvious sense, many injustices occur and are sanctioned on a societal level. Secondly, our sins almost inevitably touch others. We can observe both of these dynamics at work in the financial crisis and its aftermath. Certainly, characters such as Bernie Madoff stand out as the villains in this globe-sized saga, yet society as a whole played a supporting role. In the housing market, there was no tomorrow. Every usable or reusable scrap of land was improved upon with posh housing projects that fetched correspondingly posh prices. As real estate
values went up at a dizzying incline, banks gave out mortgages to people without steady wages, who were not sure that they’d be able to make regular payments, but wanted to bet on the bubble. Financial institutions would repackage these less-than-perfect mortgages into mortgage-backed securities. Credit rating agencies would unhesitatingly assign stellar ratings to these shady instruments – after all, real estate values could only go up. In addition, the wealth effect, engendered by rocketing home prices, meant that consumers spent way more than they normally would – and perhaps more than they really could afford. Thus, savings rates remained low, and many people ran up large amounts of debt. In effect, the house we invested in as a society was one of cards: as soon as the weakest link broke, the overheated economy would coil and contract, leaving many of us out in the cold – many without a job, some without a house, some without their retirement savings. The prevalent culture of expansion, accompanied by debt accumulation, would give way to frugality as bubble borrowers defaulted on their mortgage payments, sending giant investment banks into a tailspin. These banks’ game of Russian Roulette with high-risk mortgages came to public attention along with other objectionable business practices. Suddenly, we all began to worry about tomorrow. Banks became extremely stingy with credit lines, employers began to pare down their payroll and squeeze the most out of the workers who they kept on, and retailers slashed prices. We have learned to work harder and spend less, to use public transportation instead of driving, and to cut
back on tropical vacations and restaurant outings. It was a little too late, perhaps, but better late than never. Many of us know someone who has lost a job in the wake of the crisis, or has simply given up looking for one. Some of us know people who have lost their homes, and most homeowners have seen the value of this seemingly secure asset cut in half. Most of us have to be more judicious about what we buy. College graduates worry about their job prospects, senior citizens worry about the financial security of their final years, and little children will grow up worrying about the taxes they must pay to cover the fiscal deficit which the government of the U.S. has accumulated. The hope is that we as a society learn a lesson from the financial crisis. Bubbles come and go, as history tells us, yet it is possible to blunt the impact of tempestuous market forces with better business practices and more responsible consumer behavior. For this reason, we cannot ascribe the recession to a few unsavory CEOs and overextended corporations–we must recognize that society as a whole provided a fertile ground for the crisis to take root with a climate of carefree spending and injudicious investments. Reforming Wall Street is therefore only part of resolving the crisis. The goal we should adhere to is to remain responsible spenders, scrupulous investors, and smart lenders in the years to come. By acknowledging our collective shortcomings, our “sins,” as it were, we will be able to outgrow them. Olena Savytska is a Staff Columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights. com.
Ap photo
The presence of the Iranian military in the Suez Canal and the recent protests by workers have garnered much attention.
Strikes along the Suez Canal Binh Nguyen On Thursday, hundreds of workers went on strike along the Suez Canal as part of a social movement across Egypt that demands better wages and conditions. The workers, however, vowed that they would not hinder traffic through the waterway. After President Hosni Mubarak’s fall from power, the new protests were no longer for an overthrow of the current government, but rather for the required government pay increases and a two-tiered system that provides better benefits to professional employees. Such a change signaled a divergence from the solidarity seen in the previous protests against the ousted president and ineffectively challenged the military leadership’s handling of the economy. Following an 18-day popular uprising and the end of Mubarak’s three decades of authoritarian regime, the labor unrest seen at textile mills, pharmaceutical plants, chemical industries, the Cairo airport, and banks proved to be one of the most powerful dynamics in a post-Mubarak transition led by the military. Banks reopened last week, but quickly shut again due to a wave of protests over salaries and management abuses. School opening was delayed another week, and the stock market’s opening date has not been decided. Many worried that the economic repercussions and uncertainty about the political transition would make stocks plummet. The new protests were an indication of the diminishing solidarity that served to unite Egyptians in the last 18 days of Mubarak’s term. During Egypt’s revolution, different ideologies found a common purpose in the end of Mubarak’s authoritarian rule. With that goal already accomplished, fundamental rules
that have underlined the republican Egypt have begun to be renegotiated as different groups now compete for their respective interests. Taken together, the new protests underlined one of Egypt’s most distinctive periods of labor unrest. Egyptians now worry about a new challenge: how to satisfy demands as the economy staggers. “Everyone is looking for money, and there is none to be had,” Hani Shukrallah, a political analyst, told reporters. The military has demanded the workers to end their strikes without success. “For 30 years, there were no protests at all, well, not really and now that’s all there is,” said Ibrahim Aziz, a merchant in downtown Cairo in a recent report. “The situation is a mess.” At the same time, the military’s decision not to use force to curb the strikes only bolstered their pre-existing popular support. The popularity stemmed from the military standing on the side of the civilians during the revolution and its recent efforts to steer the country in the chaos of a political transition that could reshape Egypt more dramatically than at any time since the monarchy was overthrown in 1952. As part of that transition, the military has sketched a framework to amend the constitution and return Egypt to civilian leadership within six months. Nevertheless, the exact date for elections for the presidency and parliament remain unknown. Despite the popularity, the military has received complaints about the lack of transparency in decision-making process. It is still keeping thousands of political prisoners and has not lifted the Emergency Law, which licensed Mubarak’s government powers in arresting and imprisoning whoever it deemed threatening. The military also stayed unclear about forming political parties and civil rights. “There has not been very much coming out about what I call the infrastructure – even the temporary infrastructure – for democracy,” said a Western diplomat in Cairo
Thursday. Even though the military’s intentions are not discernible now, two things are clear. First, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi has come into sight as the leader of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, to which Mubarak delegated power when he resigned last Friday. Second, Tantawi is a strong advocate of government control of prices and production, to the extent that the military keeps its deliberation from the parliament and the public. “Protecting its business from scrutiny and accountability is a red line the military will draw,” said Robert Springborg, an expert on Egypt’s military at the Naval Postgraduate School. “And that means there can be no meaningful civilian oversight.” Tantawi’s fervor for a strong government-controlled economy has already been evident in the purge of advocates of market-oriented economic changes from the cabinet and ruling party. It is disconcerting that the military’s power to guide policy is currently unchecked. The prestige that it has enjoyed since the 18day revolution is shielding it from criticism. On top of that, the idea of a centrally planned economy is probably more appealing to Egyptians at the moment because of the corrupt way that the Mubarak government liberalized the economy. The recently overthrown regime used to bestow fortunes on a small circle around the ruling party while ignoring most Egyptians’ poverty. “The military is like the matador with the red cape attracting the bull of resentment against the corruption of the old regime,” Springborg said, “and they are playing it very successfully.” The new protests are a challenge to the current state of Egypt’s economy, but I doubt they would be able to affect the determination of the changeresistant Tantawi. Binh Nguyen is a Staff Columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights. com.
marketplace The Heights
Thursday, February 24, 2011
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Thursday, February 24, 2011
New Wisconsin bill threatens unions
in the News Politics Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) announced he will not run for president in 2012. Thune is a popular two-term Republican who recently spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Jim Havel
A new book by former Sarah Palin aide Frank Bailey was leaked to the media this weekend. The book claims that Palin broke campaign election laws in 2006 while still governor of Alaska. House Republicans and Senate Democrats initiated talks on the federal budget last weekend. The deadline for passing a bill and avoiding a government shutdown is March 4.
Economics Oil prices rose to $96.08 on Wednesday, nearly a $20 increase from this time last year. The recent government protests in Libya have contributed greatly to the immediate price increase. The Obama administration began an investigation into military assistance to foreign countries. Obama had previously supported selling arms to nations in order to isolate Iran. Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner urged Congress to raise the debt ceiling by early April. Congress will have to slash over $700 billion from the budget this year if the ceiling is not raised.
Science & Technology Amazon released a free movie and TV streaming program on Wednesday. Redbox, another movie renting service, also plans to develop a streaming program for its customers. Apple investors rejected a resolution that would have forced the company’s board to reveal its succession plans. The resolution was proposed in light of Steve Jobs’ leave of absence last year. Rolls Royce Motor Cars announced that it will unveil an electric car at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The car is strictly experimental and will not be for sale.
in numbers 137 workers
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Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton speaks to protesters who gathered in support of their Wisconsin neighbors.
Some teachers like to describe their profession as a calling, a true desire to prepare the next generation for the future. The protests in Wisconsin truly show that these teachers are perhaps more motivated by their benefits and money. Newly elected Gov. Scott Walker proposed a bill that would close a projected $3.6 billion shortfall by forcing public employees to pay 5.8 percent of their salary toward their pensions and 12.6 percent of healthcare premiums, up from 6 percent on average. On top of that, Walker aims to cut many of the collective bargaining rights of the unions, a move he says will prevent massive layoffs but which some union members argue will take away a basic human right. Over 25,000 teachers across the state took to Madison in protest. When students cut class, they get detention and suspensions and are held in contempt by the judicial system for truancy. When teachers abandon their students,
Libyan protesters met with violence B y G erard F arara Heights Staff
It all started at the grassroots level. The distaste for authoritarianism. The dismal social conditions. The restrictions on the media and abuse of human rights. It has all taken a toll on the minds of those who live with such regulated freedom. What was originally resentment for the regime has been the catalyst that has compelled thousands to act. It’s like a contagious disease, infecting one authoritative regime at a time. This pandemic has already made the likes of Ben Ali and Mubarak its victims. But now that it’s killed off its most recent host, Mubarak, it has seemingly set its sites on a new Arab frontier, Libya. This host cell however, might prove to be less passive than those before it. Over the past week, thousands have taken to the streets vehemently de-
manding an end to autocracy. Colonel Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi portraits have been smashed, the country’s f lag, introduced by Gaddafi in 1977, has been publicly set af lame and replaced by the one of the old King Idriss monarchy. The desire and ability to act is there. But despite these efforts, any aspirations of a more peaceful conf lict comparable to Tunisia and Egypt have been shattered by the shear force and brutality that Gaddafi has mandated upon them. Hundreds if not thousands of bodies lie on the deserted streets of Tripoli, the capital, and Benghazi, the second largest city, as fierce clashes between police forces and protestors have clearly outlined how the nation’s leader intends to deal with this imminent threat. Military forces with tanks have mowed down civilians in the east, as countless bloody battles between the army and tribal forces have completely
from an earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. The earthquake is the second to hit the town in five months.
Alexander Dripchak
So, how did Watson pull off this extraordinary feat? It’s a math wizard. Using sophisticated algorithms, the goal is for Watson to be able to understand the question, sift through relevant content in its database, decide on the exact answer, cross-reference its answer to its “evidence” from its database, and then use the additional algorithms developed by IBM programmers to measure Watson’s confidence in
OK, so now that you’re all set up with Chuck you look at the market two years ago in comparison to now, and you start worrying. Why couldn’t I get in earlier? Did I miss the rally already? Is the market just going to go down since it has gone up more than 80 percent in the past two years? While some opportunities in the market have come and gone since the credit crisis, there are many still out there. What you have to keep in mind is where the market has been historically. Over a mere eight years during the Clinton era, the market rallied up 224 percent. In October of 2008, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (Dow) topped out at 14,164. Keep in mind that the average yearly return is somewhere around 8 percent in the stock market. If you apply this return, the market should be somewhere around 16,700. Yes, this is a particularly idealistic view, however it is scary to think about where sustained growth could have led us. However, one thing is for sure. With the Dow just over 12,000, it is safe to say that there is still plenty of room for the market to move up. Seeing where the highs have been and where we are now is certainly reassuring for those in the market. However, is it enough to “light the fire” inside the hearts of all the contrarians? Probably not. For all you naysayers and “the glass is half empty” supporters, the following should put your mind at ease in these tumultuous times. Last year showed the progressions of recovery. With the market up 13 percent, many investors benefited from the regaining of consumer confidence and the housing market stabilization. In light of these numbers, many experts believe that 2011 will continue to shine on investors. According to a report from www.savingtoinvest.com,
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See Finance, B7
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Gaddafi often tours behind bulletproof glass, shown in this photo from 2009. disrupted the region. MSNBC received reports of the use of fighter jets and helicopters to fire live ammunition on protestors. Gaddafi has clearly demonstrated the necessary zeal to fight off this relentless “Jasmine disease,” as he has even reportedly agreed to pay hefty salaries to thou-
sands of foreign mercenaries he has deployed all throughout the country. But this vicious method may prove to further antagonize rather than subdue the masses as such murderous acts have highlighted Gaddafi’s total disregard for the lives of
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IBM destroys reigning ‘Jeopardy’ champs
60 students per class in Detroit in 2014. A newly approved proposal will close half of the schools in the city over the next three years.
in quotes “ It’s about rights, it’s not about money.” – Wisconsin Union Workers protesting a possible limit on collective bargaining.
“ I still believe that if somebody else is talking, somebody should be listening. ” – Justice Clarence Thomas on his five-year Supreme Court silence.
Clara Kim Every weeknight when I’m at home in California, regardless of sun, rain, snow (yeah, right) or earthquake, my dad and I tune in to ABC to watch Jeopardy! while eating dinner. During this 30-minute show, it becomes a competition in the Kim Family household to determine who can answer the most clues correctly. Usually, I’m ecstatic just to be able to answer some, but when I can’t, my secret trick is to stuff my mouth with my dinner so that I purposely can’t give the answer. But don’t tell my dad. So, dad, if you’re reading this, here’s a clue for you, for which I will graciously provide the answer. Answer: This contestant appearing on Jeopardy! from Feb. 14 to 16, gave Jeopardy! champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter a run for their money, taking home more than $1 million. Question: What is IBM’s supercomputer, Watson? Named after IBM’s first president, Thomas J. Wat-
jeopardy productions inc. / Ap photo
Watson, shown with ‘Jeopardy’ host Alex Trebek and champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, won $1 million for charity. son, Watson is the formidable supercomputer adversary the size of 10 refrigerators that is powered by 90 servers and 360 computer chips connected by a 10 Gigabit Ethernet network. With a 15 trillion-byte memory, programmers at IBM filled its “brain” with over 200 million scanned pages of text from dictionaries, anthologies, and the World Book Encyclopedia. The collected information ranged in topic from great literature to scientific formulas, to the name of every Best Actress Oscar win-
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Market growth at a high
at an Apple factory in China were injured by toxic chemicals while assembling glass screens.
75 deaths
they’re praised for standing up for basic rights, and cheered on by the liberal left. Does anyone else find what the teachers did even more despicable and irresponsible than a student who cuts class? It’s now been going on for well over a week, and more and more unions are descending on the capital, even as the state house and senate democrats walked out in protest and solidarity with their greatest and most consistent financial backers. Unions have long used their high benefits to push a political agenda instead of taking care of their members as they were chartered to do. Unions once served a purpose, but in 2011, they are relics of the old world, much like how Detroit is a relic of American industry. Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey was criticized for sharp, but necessary budget cuts last year. He weighed in on this fight recently, “For too many years, our government has operated under the belief that the baseline, the place you begin, is to continue to fund every program in the budget:
ner and other popular cultural references. Researchers at IBM decided to debut Watson on Jeopardy!, competing against the show’s two winningest contestants, Jennings and Rutter. Jennings had the most number of consecutive wins in the show’s history, 74, and Rutter earned the highest amount, $3.25 million. Together they sum up an incredible amount of over $6 million in winnings. But what humans can do, computers can do better, or so IBM thinks.
Politco of the week
This week Marketplace will explore the life and political career of Rahm Emanuel........................................................... B8
Political Belief...................................B9 Politically Speaking..............................B7